Four publications of the first printing press in Europe dedicated to printing Arabic typeface.

4to (1st work sl. toned, some minor marginal soiling, upper margin of 4th title-leaf dampstained, first endpaper renewed).

Contemp. vellum, flat spine. Excellent copies with wide margins.

Four extremely rare publications from the Medici Oriental Press, the 1st printing press in Europe dedicated to printing Arabic typeface. It was founded in Rome in 1584 under the direction of Giovanni Battista Raimondi (1536-1614) and the patronage of Pope Gregory XIII. For the Arabic types, Raimondi commissioned the famous typefounder Robert Granjon. Cutting the Arabic typefaces took a long time, and the first book to bear its imprint did not appear until 1591. Until 1610 Raimondi printed only 8 works with Granjon’s types.
1. Alphabetum Arabicum. Rome, Typographia Medicea, 1592. 64 pp. Prospectus of the Arabic typefaces of the Medici Oriental Press - "a masterpiece of design which not only displays Granjon’s beautiful types, but contains a careful Latin Essay on the Arabic writing system" (Lunde, Arabic and the art of printing, in "Aramco World" 1981). Woodcut mark on title.
2. Brevis orthodoxae fidei professio, quae ex praescripto Sanctae Sedis Apostolicae ab Orientalibus ad Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae unitatem venientibus facienda proponitur. Ibid., 1595. [14-2 bl.] ff. Maronite confession of faith, intended for Eastern Christians who claimed to be united with the Catholic Church. Large woodcut mark at the end. Two woodcuts after Antonio Tempesta (1555-1630) in text. Arabic and Latin texts on opposite pages.
3. Abu ’Abd Allah Muhammad ben Muhammad ben Dawud al-Sanhagi, called Ibn Adjurrum - Grammatica arabica in compendium redacta, quae vocatur Giarrumia, auctore Mahmeto filio Davidis Alsanhagii. Ibid., 1592. [12] ff. Editio princeps of a short Arabic grammar by a 14th-c. scholar from Fez (Morocco). Arabic title and text printed in red and black throughout.
4. ’Uthman ibn ’Umar, called Ibn al-Hajib. Al-Kafiya - Grammatica arabica dicta Caphiah, auctore filio Alhagiabi. Ibid., 1592. [48] ff. "Editio princeps of this popular short syntax of the Arabic language, written in the 13th century by the Arabian grammarian Uthman Ibn Umar, known as Ibn al-Hajib (1175-1249). Two centuries later an Oriental printed edition was published in Istanbul (1786), but in the meantime this edition, printed in Arabic (30 point) throughout, could well have passed for a manuscript" (Smitskamp). Arabic text only, title printed in red, text printed in red and black throughout.
Ref. 1. Edit16 1227. - Schnurrer 41. - Adams A-780. - Not in Smitskamp (Phil. orient.). - 2. Edit16 7571. - Zenker 1571. - Not in Adams - 3. Edit16 65819. Schnurrer 43. - Adams M-1891. - 4. Edit16 44392. - Schnurrer 42 - Adams U-102. - Smitskamp 30.
Prov. "Christianus Druvaeus Abb. S. Nicol. Fur. Recogita", i.e. Christiaan Druve (+ 1616), abbot of the Sint-Niklaas Abbey in Veurne (contemp. ownership entry on 1st title).