14 How Provenance Marks from Lithuanian Incunabula are Contributing to Historical Narrative
abstract
At present, eight different libraries in Lithuania preserve 510 incunabula in their holdings. In the 15th century, Lithuania did not have printing houses, so books had to be imported. A majority of incunabula kept in Lithuania carry inscriptions which show that these books were brought to Lithuania as early as in the 16th or 17th century. However, extant book markings may also become a way of shedding light on historical events which influenced the fate of libraries, and, vice versa, a knowledge of historical events may fill in lacunae left by provenance marks in the history of a book.
Keywords: History of Lithuania • Books of the 15th Century • Private libraries • Incunabula • Prices • Illuminators • Provenance