Gregory IX

Gregory IX (b. 1170, Pope 1227–1241). Decretales. Commentary by Bernardo Bottoni of Parma. Printed on vellum.
Mainz: Peter Schoeffer, 23 November 1473. (06327)

A compilation of all of the papal decrees and canon laws that had been approved between 1140 and 1234, the Decretales concern jurisdiction, procedure, the conduct of clergy, marriage, and criminal delinquencies. According to a document dated 1477, Peter Schoeffer printed 360 copies on paper and 40 copies on vellum. This vellum copy, one of only three recorded in America and one of only twelve to survive, is distinguished by the artistry of its contemporary binding and illuminations. Both the masterful painted miniatures and the spectacular pictorial binding are the work of the prolific Austrian illuminator and bookbinder Ulrich Schreier, who served important patrons at the archiepiscopal and imperial courts of Salzburg and Vienna from the 1460s to the 1480s. Beautifully preserved, the four colorful miniatures and extensive marginal decorations are among the finest surviving examples of Schreier’s work.