Codex. Codicis d[omi]ni Justiani sacratissimi principis libri novem.Paris, Yolande Bonhomme for Jean Petit, 1538. 4to. With the woodcut printer's device of Thielman Kerver on the title-page, one full-page woodcut illustration, a near full-page woodcut illustration of emperor Justinian I, and numerous woodcut initials throughout. The title-page and text are printed in red and black. Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin, with the manuscript title on the spine and the front board.

Home / Forum Rare Books / Codex. Codicis d[omi]ni Justiani sacratissimi principis libri novem.Paris, Yolande Bonhomme for Jean Petit, 1538. 4to. With the woodcut printer’s device of Thielman Kerver on the title-page, one full-page woodcut illustration, a near full-page woodcut illustration of emperor Justinian I, and numerous woodcut initials throughout. The title-page and text are printed in red and black. Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin, with the manuscript title on the spine and the front board.

Codex. Codicis d[omi]ni Justiani sacratissimi principis libri novem.Paris, Yolande Bonhomme for Jean Petit, 1538. 4to. With the woodcut printer’s device of Thielman Kerver on the title-page, one full-page woodcut illustration, a near full-page woodcut illustration of emperor Justinian I, and numerous woodcut initials throughout. The title-page and text are printed in red and black. Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin, with the manuscript title on the spine and the front board.

[40], CCCCCCCIIII, ll.Very rare edition of the Code of Justinian, printed by Yolande Bonhomme (active ca. 1497-1557). It was likely the first time this text was printed by a female printer, as we have not been able to find an earlier edition printed by a woman. This edition by Bonhomme has never been on the market before, is only available in a few libraries and is not mentioned in several of the most important relevant reference works.Bonhomme was the daughter of bookseller and printer Pasquier Bonhomme (active 1451-1501) and the wife of printer Thielman Kerver (active ca. 1497-1522). Women in France were not allowed to start their own printing business, but they could take over their husband's company after his death. When Kerver passed away in 1522, Bonhomme continued the business under her own name and remained in charge for 35 years. She was one of the most successful female printers of her time and is the first woman known to have printed the Bible (1526).This edition by Bonhomme is heavily glossed. Although it is not mentioned, these glosses are very likely by Accursius (ca. 1183-1263), a professor of law at the university of Bologna.With an extensive owner's inscription and a black, oval library stamp on the title-page, and with annotations in the margins of some pages. The edges and corners of the boards are somewhat scuffed, the leather is slightly scratched and soiled, slightly affecting the clarity of the blind-tooling. Two ink stains on the title-page, but the text is still legible, the inner margin of the title-page and the lower margin of the first text leaf are restored, without affecting the text, a small tear in the woodcut initial on leaf 2A1 (prefatio G. Haloandri), without loss of paper, the outer edges of the final 10 leaves are slightly frayed, the lower outer corners on the last 6 leaves are folded, also without affecting the text. Overall in good condition.l WorldCat 312067202, 313412679, 993078134 (4 copies); Not in Adams; Brunet; Graesse; USTC.

The Hedàya, or Guide; a commentary on the Mussulman laws: translated by the order of the Governor-General and Council of Bengal.London, Thomas Bensley, 1791. 4 volumes. Small folio (22 x 27.5 cm). Modern half calf in period style, marbled sides, gold-tooled smooth spine divided into six fields by rolls, black morocco spine label in the second field, the others with an arabesque ornament.

[MARGHINANI, `Ali ibn Abi Bakr] (Charles HAMILTON, transl.).

[2], LXXXIX, [1], XII, 561, [3]; VIII, 727, [3]; VIII, 609, [3]; VIII, 574, [54] pp. Errata leaf at end of each volume.First English edition of al-Hidayah, the authoritative guide to Islamic jurisprudence, printed in a small number of copies only (cf. Brunet) by the most prestigious London printer of his time, Thomas Bensley. The understanding of Islamic law was critical to the colonial administration of India, and in particular of Bengal with its large Muslim population, and this work was intended to enable English officials to understand local proceedings. Commonly referred to as al-Hidayah (the guidance), it originated as a 12th-century Hanafi work by Sheikh al-Islam Burhan al-Din al-Farghani al-Marghinani (1135-97) and is considered an authoritative guide to Islamic law among Muslims throughout the world. The Hidayah presents a legal tradition developed over many centuries and represents the corpus of Hanafi law in its approved and preferred form. Hanafi, one of the four principal schools of Sunni jurisprudence, emphasizes public good above dogmatic legalism. The primary reason for the Hidayahs popularity is the reliability of its statements and the soundness of its legal reasoning. It is arguably the most popular and important work in fiqh literature, which concerns the human understanding of the divine sharia law. Hamiltons English translation is based on a Persian translation by Ghulam Ya Khan from the original Arabic. Intended for a British audience, chapters relating to rituals were omitted, while his coverage of contracts, torts, and criminal law is more complete. Hamilton explains in his preface: "The permanence of any foreign dominion (and indeed, the justification of holding such a dominion) requires that a strict attention be paid to ease and advantage, not only of the governors, but of the governed; and to this great end nothing can so effectually contribute as preserving to the latter their ancient established practices, civil and religious and protecting them in the exercise in their own institutes . they must be infinitely more acceptable than anything we could offer; since they are supported by the accumulated prejudice of ages, and, in the opinion of their followers, derive their origin from the divinity himself" (preliminary discourse). A second edition of Hamiltons translation was published in 1870, though the first edition is rare.Light browning throughout with occasional brown stains, but generally a fine copy in an attractive and expertly executed modern binding in period style.l Brunet III, col. 75; WorldCat 10111750.

$27,726