Bidspirit auction | Glory of the Italian Printing

Glory of the Italian Printing Presses! The First Machzor that was Printed with a Commentary: Two Sections of the Machzor per the Custom of Rome, First Edition of Kimcha DeAvishuna and the Sforno - Bologna, 1540 - Machzor per the Custom of Rome, First Edition of two important commentaries: Kimcha DeAvishuna, a comprehensive commentary on Piyyutim and prayers by Rabbi Yochanan ben Yosef Trivish - the first edition of a commentary on the Machzor. This Machzor also contains the first edition of the Sforno's commentary on Pirkei Avot which was printed in his lifetime. Was printed by a rare printing press that printed only few Hebrew books - Bologna (Italy), 1540 (according to the colophon). Stefansky Sifrei Yesod 434. This Machzor, which is the glory of the Italian printing presses and one of the most important Machzorim in the history of Hebrew printing , was printed with great precision, as indicated by the title page. It contains prayers for all year round including the days of the week and the Moadim, Masechet Avot with the Rambam's commentary, Passover Haggadah and varied Piyyutim which today are not said. For the project of printing the Machzor, three Italian printers united (a rare thing in itself) - Menachem ben Avraham of Modena, Yechiel ben Shlomo of Ravenna and Dan Aryeh ben Shlomo Chaim of Monselice. The Kimcha DeAvishuna commentary was written anonymously and the colophon refers to this at length. Two sections in two volumes, impressively engraved title pages: Section I: Days of the week and Sabbath, Hanukkah, Pesach, Shavu'it and the four Tanayot, including the Passover Haggadah, the scrolls of Shir Hashirim, Eichah and Ruth and Masechet Avot with the Rambam's commentary and the Sforno: [200] leaves. Section II: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and Sukkot including Megillat Kohelet:  [189] leaves. At the end, leaves containing varied Halachot. Fine bindings with leather s[ines. Professionally restored tears, some of them affecting the text. Blemishes and taping. Stains. Good overall condiiton. Possibly, some of the leaves wetre completed from other copies.  In several places there are glosses on the margins of the leaves, supplements and textual corrections as well as erasure of text by hand anywhere there is a reference against gentiles, converts or Christianity - apparently for fear of the censor -  the notations were not studied.