The Canticum canticorum blockbook illustrates the Christian allegory of divine love derived from the Old Testament book of the Song of Solomon or Song of Songs (Canticum canticorum in the Latin Vulgate). In the Christian tradition, the Bridegroom represents Christ and the Bride represents the individual's soul or the Christian Church.

Title supplied by cataloguer.

Second edition.

Place and date of publication from Schreiber.

"For several reasons I would assign the making of the Canticum canticorum to a Franciscan monastery in that city [i.e. Leuven], with the drawings being made perhaps by Dieric Bouts, apparently another Brother of the Common Life, or possibly by young Hans Memlinc before he went to Bruges"--Stevenson.

Collation: [1-8²]: 16 leaves.

The text appears on banderoles in each image.

Bibliothèque nationale (France). Catalogue des incunables (CIBN), CC-1, I, pages xvi-xvii

Dibdin, T.F. Biblioteca Spenceriana, volume I, pages xxxvi-xliii (no. 6*)

Schreiber, W.L. Manuel de l'amateur de la gravure sur bois et sur métal au xve siècle, IV, pages 151-152

Stevenson, A. The problem of the blockbooks, pages 250-251

Wagner, B. Xylographa Bavarica, CC-01, pages 167-169

Bible. Song of Solomon > Illustrations > Early works to 1800.

Bible > History of Biblical events > Early works to 1800.

Bible > Picture Bibles > Early works to 1800.

Block books.

Incunabula.

Fragments (object portions)

Hand coloring.

Netherlands.