Two fragments on vellum. One is 148x200mm (5¾x8"), the lower left corner of a leaf, with text in two columns on recto and verso (outer column trimmed), 16 or 17 lines each. The second is 190x55mm (2¼x7½"), with text in two columns on recto and verso, 11-12 lines each, also from the bottom of the text block, but without as much lower margin.

Substantial vellum fragments from the Catholicon, the first lengthy secular book to be printed, and one of the earliest dated books. It is thought that while the first impression of the Catholicon was printed by Gutenberg himself, further printings were made by Humery and Schoeffer after Gutenberg's death in 1468 (the watermarks alone differentiate the printings, in this case, on vellum, it cannot be known). The Catholicon is also the locus of debate among incunabulists as to whether it was printed using moveable type at all. Paul Needham believes that Gutenberg in fact used two-line slugs, which would have been Gutenberg's final, great innovation in printing technology. A fascinating relic of the birth of printing. Rare on vellum.