Armenian edition of Thomas à Kempis‘ »De Imitiatione Christi«, 1894

Beschreibung

Thomas à KEMPIS: ՆՄԱՆՈՒԹՒՒՆ ՅԻՍՈՒՍԻ ՔՐԻՍՏՈՍԻ (Nmanut’wwn Yisusi K’ristosi) [DE IMITATIONE CHRISTI] (…) Translated into Armenian by Thorun P. Th. (= M. E. V. 16). Vienna: Publishing and Printing House of the Mekhitarist Congregation, 1894.

Small-8vo. [4 leaves (series title, preface, index)], 545 [1| pages. Letterpress on machine paper, bound in later cloth with ornamental spine printing, front cover of original wrappers tipped-on front board.

Particularly rare Armenian translation of Kempis‘ medieval devotional book »De Imitiation Christi«, printed by the Vienna Mekhitarist Congregation.

Contents: »The Imitation of Christ«, written anonymously in Latin from ca. 1418 to 1427 by the German and Dutch scholar Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471), is considered one of the best known Christian devotional books, with translations in numerous languages until today.

Provenance: Front cover, pre-title page and title page with contemporary stamp of bookstore and publishing house B. Balentz, Constantinople.

Condition: Front cover or original yellow publisher’s wrapper tipped-on front board of later, fine cloth cover; paper with some minor foxing, otherwise very well preserved indeed.

Rarity: Of outstanding rarity. As of July 30th 2022, OCLC/WorldCat and KVK show no other copy in worldwide institutional holdings, including Armenia. – Reference: Kalemkiar 41.