Bible, Modern Greek.- New Testament (graece), collation: ?-?⁶, ?^4, [136]ff., Greek text printed in red and black throughout, verso of final leaf with monogrammatic printer's device, title within fine architectural woodcut border, 4 full-page woodcuts introducing each Gospel and depicting the evangelists, woodcut headpieces, those at beninning of each Gospel somewhat larger, numerous red and black initials in Byzantine style, leaves uniformly browned, small stains, spotting and foxing throughout, heavier on quire signed ?, repaired wormhole to title with minor loss to woodcut on verso, small repairs to some leaves, on last three leaves affecting a few letters of text, some finger-marks and other traces of use, sporadic marginal notes in Greek and reading marks, contemporary Venetian gilt-tooled reddish-brown morocco, largely restored with original covers laid down, covers gilt-stamped with solid and azure floral tools, upper cover with central gilt tool depicting the Virgin with Child, lower cover central gilt tool showing the Crucifixion (repaired with loss), modern gilt-stamped spine to style, gauffered edges in floral pattern, remains of original edge gilding, folio, 280 x 193mm., Venice, Andrea and Giacomo Spinelli, 1550.

⁂ The exceedingly rare, sumptuous Hieron Euangelion - only one copy is currently preserved in Italian institutional libraries - printed in modern Greek by Andrea and Giacomo Spinelli. The volume bears the Spinelli's fine device, an elaborate monogram combining the letters F R A I and S, inscribed in a circle. The brothers Spinelli originated from Parma and their activity in Venice was devoted to the production of liturgies for the use of the Greek diaspora. The brothers took up printing in 1548 with the liturgical book called Menaion; the Gospels followed in 1550. The Spinelli books were printed with types that were designed and cut by Andrea Spinelli who was an outstanding designer and the official engraver of the Venetian mint. "Since Andrea Spinelli was a well-known engraver, he cut his own type, possibly modelling it on the handwriting of one of the Greek scribes connected with his publishing firm or copying the handwriting of a particular manuscript. Nikolaos Malaxos was a scribe, and so was another Spinelli editor, Vasileios Valeris" (E. Layton, The Sixteenth Century Greek Book in Italy, Venice 1994, p. 477). Each gospel is introduced by a full-page woodcut, depicting in turn the four Evangelists, and revealing Byzantine iconographic and stylistic features, which have been perpetuated in Orthodox iconography.

Literature: Adams, L 830; Essling I, 303.