75/2952 [Incunabula and early 16th cent. books]. Terentius Afer, P. Comico Carmine. Strassb., J. Grüninger, 1503 ("MCCCCCIII. XV Kalendas Aprilis"), (6),158 leaves, full-p. woodcut title and 6 full-p. woodcut illustrations, 142 smaller woodcuts, num. woodcut initials, ALL IN ATTRACTIVE HANDCOLOURING, 17th cent. blindst. vellum, small folio.

- First and final quires w. num. sm. wormholes; one textleaf sl. stained; 2 textleaves w. tear in blank margin; 1 textleaf (Z2) w. a few tears in centre of text (but complete and restorable); margin cut sl. short towards the end (once or twice just affecting top of the letters of the running title); cat. clipping and bookplates on upper pastedown. Upper joint starting at spine-ends; sm. hole (Ø 8-10 mm) in outer margin of frontcover.

= Provenance: Six van Hillegom and Bob Luza (bookplates on upper pastedown); before that prob. Fraeylema borg library; two old (17th cent.) manuscript owner's entries on title-p. ("S. de Bucquoy" and "A. Avador[?]". No other handcoloured copies of this edition traced in the market. The third Grüninger edition, with the same full-page illustrations as in the 1496 and 1499 editions (the smaller woodcuts were specifically made for the 1503 edition), and with the commentary by Aelius Donatus and Calphurnius. The woodcut illustrations show Grüninger's method of using various separate blocks in various combinations to create new images. The artist who illustrated the work became known as the "Terenz Meister" because of his lively and attractive illustrations for Comico Carmine and in due time became Grüninger's most favoured illustrator. Fairfax Murray, Early German Books 407; Adams, T 304; Proctor 9889; Schweiger p.1054. SEE ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE CXLI.