Psalterium (Mainz Psalter) (1457) — Gallery of Early Printed Books

Beatus vir opening with the great two-colour initial B — Opening of Psalm 1, "Beatus vir qui non abijt in consilio impiorum," with the monumental ten-line initial B printed in red filigree on a blue ground — the signature two-colour mechanical initial that distinguishes the Psalter. Note the smaller red lombard initials threaded through the text (f. 1r).

Psalm 2 with red lombard initials — Psalm 2, "Quare fremuerunt gentes," set in the large liturgical textura with verse and clause openings marked by alternating two-line initials printed in red (f. 1v).

Psalm opening with paired red and blue initials — Psalms 3–4, "Domine quid multiplicati sunt qui tribulant me" and "Cum invocarem exaudivit me," each headed by a decorated two-colour initial in red-and-blue filigree (f. 2r).

End of the hymnar with red rubrics — Final text leaf of the appended hymnar: the hymn "Iesu corona virginum" under the printed red rubric "De virginibus," followed by "Virginis proles opifexque matris" and the rubric "Ad laudes," with two-colour initials closing the volume (f. 175r).

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The first book to bear a printer's name, date, and place of printing in a colophon — naming Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer — establishing the conventions that all subsequent printed books would follow. It was also the first to print two-colour initials (red and blue) mechanically rather than by hand. All known copies are printed on vellum. The ÖNB copy is the larger 175-leaf variant supplemented with texts for use in the diocese of Mainz.

Psalterium (Mainz Psalter)

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