Postilla (1591) by Jonas Bretkūnas a copy belonging to Vladas Daumantas and unmentioned in previous bibliographies

Eight copies of “Postilla” kept in Lithuania have been recorded in the Lithuanian SSR Bibliography (1969) and its supplement volume “Papildymai” (1990). One more non-registered copy is currently kept at the library of the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore. None of the nine copies of “Postilla” kept in Lithuania has an inscription or ex-libris testifying that they are the property of Vladas Daumantas. However, the copy of Daumantas has survived. The paper describes this copy in greater detail, focusing on provenance and the external elements of book structure, the overall condition of the book, pagination errors and marks left by readers. This copy is now kept in the Art Gallery of Mykolas Žilinskas in Kaunas. Until 1944, the copy was kept in the private collection of Daumantas. In 1924, it was included in the Lithuanian Bibliography by Vaclovas Biržiška; however, after World War II its fate was unknown to scholars. This is the tenth presently known copy of Bretkūnas’ “Postilla” kept in Lithuania. Certain circumstances testify that this copy was the property of Daumantas (1885–1977; Vladislovas Dzimidavičius before 1916): 1) an inscription in purple pencil “VDaumantas” on the title page; 2) an inscription with the note “VDaumanto kolekcija” as of 21 December 1963 in the accession book of the Art Museum of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis; 3) a description of the “Postilla” in the manuscripts by Petras Jakštas, a contemporary of Daumantas. The copy is not defective; it is in good condition. Out of ten copies known to be presently kept in Lithuania, only two are not defective: the copy of Daumantas and the copy of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences