Mikneh Avram - Venice, 1523 - Ancient Ownership Inscription

Mikneh Avram - Venice, 1523 - Ancient Ownership Inscription
Grammatica Hebraea / Mikneh Avram, a book on Hebrew grammar, by the physician and grammarian R. Abraham de Balmes. Venice: Daniel Bomberg, [1523].
Vowelized Hebrew and Latin on facing pages. The volume was translated by Kalonymus ben David, who also composed the final chapter in the book: "Chapter of Cantillation", and prepared the book for print.
Following the title page is a Latin poem honoring Daniel Bomberg, after which Bomberg wrote a Latin introduction. The author also praises Bomberg in his introduction.
The blank page following the introduction contains an inscription in old Italian-Ashkenazic script (15th century): "G-d has favored me and given me this volume of Mikneh Avraham, which I bought today…may G-d give me and my children the merit to study it day and night, and may our entire nation be written in the book of life, blessing and peace… may G-d save us from our oppressors. Kalonymus son of the holy [martyred] Mordechai Katz of Asolo, may his soul rest in Eden…I bought this volume from Alfonso Ricaritiri in Venice for three lire…" [The writer was evidently from the family of R. Gershom Katz ben R. Kalonymus of Asolo, who moved to Padua in 1581, where he served as dayan and head of the community. See enclosed material].
[314] leaves. 21 cm. Good condition. High quality paper, mostly clean; some stains. Repaired tears to the title page; tear to one other page. Worming on binding and several pages. Original vellum binding.
Another edition of this work, in Hebrew only, was printed simultaneously [Venice, 1523]. The Hebrew of both editions is virtually identical, but the current edition has numbered lines.
Provenance: Toaff family collection.