A collection of ethical maxims, proverbs and moral reflections compiled by Solomon ibn Gabirol and translated from the Arabic by Judah ibn Tibbon was printed for the first time in Venice in 1484 as Mivchar HaPeninim [Choice Pearls].
In a Judaica sale held on March 16 by New York specialist auctioneers, Kestenbaum (25/20% buyer’s premium), a complete, wide margined copy in a modern modern morocco binding was bid to $50,000 (£40,000).
It is a work that has a special place in the history of Hebrew printing, being only the second, or, according to bibliographer Gerson Cohen, the first book printed by the Soncino family, who dominated early Hebrew printing for some 30 years.