Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514) – German physicist, humanist and historian Liber chronicarum Printed by Anton Koberger, Nuremberg, 12 July, 1493 First and only Latin edition of the famous 'Schedel’sche Weltchronik' (Nuremberg Chronicle) With more than 1,800 colored woodcuts by Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (1460-1494) and Michael Wolgemuth (1434-1519) With the earliest printed city views, among them Augsburg, Bamberg, Breslau, Cologne, Konstanz, Lubeck, Munich, Nuremberg, Passau, Prague, Regensburg, Salzburg, Ulm, Vienna, Würzburg The work also contains the legendary world map after Pomponius Mela, which shows the world before the discovery of America Blind-tooled Renaissance calf binding with corner fittings and clasps Dimensions of the large folio volume: 45 x 30.5 x 9.5 cm Complete, very well-preserved and remarkably decorative copy Provenance: Cistercian monastery Eberbach, Eltville in Rheingau This lavishly illustrated incunabula is regarded the most sophisticated and most expensive book project of the 15th century. It is considered to be very likely that the young Albrecht Dürer contributed his talents to this work Object is regular taxed. 7% VAT is added to the purchase price for deliveries within the EU. The elaborate and high-class woodcuts were executed by the German painter and woodcutter Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (1460-1494) and his father in law Michael Wolgemuth (1434-1519), in whose Nuremberg print shop Albrecht Dürer served an apprenticeship. The Nuremberg Chronicle's international renown, which lasts on up until today, is mainly based on its sumptuous artistic endowment, with words and images complementing one another in a unique and unmatched balance. Among the splendid illustrations, the numerous city views are of particular interest. Alongside views created merely from the artists' imagination, we find the first authentic views of German cities, among them Augsburg, Bamberg, Breslau, Cologne, Konstanz, Lubeck, Munich, Nuremberg, Passau, Prague, Regensburg, Salzburg, Ulm, Vienna, Würzburg. The double-page woodcut world map after Pomponius Mela deserves special attention, as it shows the world before the discovery of America. As a matter of course, the double-page map of Germany by Hieronymus Münzer is included at the end of this work. The Dance of the Dead woodcut has been ascribed to the young Albrecht Dürer in recent literature, because he contributed to the Chronicle during his apprenticeship at Wolgemuth. The edition's print run has always been subject to much speculation. Today experts assume that ca. 1,500 copies of the Latin edition were printed and about 700 copies in German. Illustration Two double-page colored woodcut maps as well as 1,800 colored woodcuts by Michael Wohlgemuth and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, among them 29 double-page city views and the two maps of the world. Some woodcuts were colored by the hand other than that of the artists. Gothic type with varying line count. Consistently rubricated in red and with some hand-painted decorative penwork initials characteristic of Koberger, as well as thousands of printed Lombards. Dimensions of leaf: 43.5 x 29 cm, text area: 36.5 x 23 cm. Collation 325 (of 328) leaves. Merely lacking the last three blank leaves. As far as text and illustrations are concerned, the work is complete. Gatherings: *-**6; *8; a6; b–d4; e–h6; i2; k4; l–n6; o2; p–q6; r–y4; z6; aa–cc6; dd2; ee6; ff4; gg–ii6; kk2; ll4; mm–zz6; A–K6; L4; M6. Condition The work is largely in good to very good condition, making an overall neat and clean impression. Strong impression on strong hand made paper with wide margins. The coloring is remarkably fine and was executed in typical Koberger style, presumably by two different hands. The Dance of the Dead woodcut is colored in blue and shows some traces of old chemical reactions and some offsetting on verso. With few marginalia in contemporary handwriting. The title leaf shows some stronger traces of thumbing and has a restored split in its lower margin. Leaves XXX, CXLII, CLXXX, CCX, CCXXI, CCXLI and CCLVII wit larger restored tears in margins. Leaf CCXXII with a small defective spot in the text that was restored in former times. Leaves CLXII and CCLXII with restored tears at top corners. Leaf CLIX with a larger brownish stain. The lower margins of the last 20 leaves are affected by just a few wormholes. The blemishes and the split in the margins of the map of Germany have been restored and closed respectively. Some leaves with isolated stains in margins and/or in the text. All in all, the copy is in very clean condition. Binding Blind-tooled calfskin binding over massive wooden boards from around 1550. Blind-tooled roll-stamped borders as well as slant iron lines. Eight corner fittings as well as two functioning claps in contemporary make that were attached at a later time. Six original bands. Binding and book block restored and newly bound. In very good condition. In the elaborate process of restoration, which largely preserved the original condition, the defective spine was replaced. Old leather defects were rebacked. The calf covering on the boards is somewhat scraped and rubbed. Large folio 45 x 305 x 9.5 cm. Provenance Cistercian monastery Eberbach, Eltville in Rheingau: Handwritten ownership entry on leaf 2 from around 1600. With several handwritten ownership entries on the title leaf, presumably Mainz, dated 1634. Joh(ann) Christoph Friedrich Roscher: Handwritten ownership entry on front pastedown, dated 1760. Lud(wig) Heinr(ich) Donner: Name entry on pastedown, presumably 19th century. Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514) Schedel enrolled at the Leipzig University at the age of sixteen in 1456, he completed master studies of liberal arts and attended lectures in jurisprudence and Canon law. In 1461 he joined the circle of humanists around Peter Luder and followed him to Padua in late 1463. Next to medicine he also studied anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua and eventually earned a doctorate in 1466. Next to lessons in medicine, he also attended lectures in physics and Greek and thus was one of the first Germans ever to gain experience in the Greek language. Between 1470 and 1477 he was active as physicist appointed by the city of Nördlingen and joined the fraternity of the 'Kartäuser im Christgarten' (Cartusians in Christ's Garden). Up until his death Hartmann Schedel was a well-respected Nuremberg citizen and had a successful medical practice. Together with other physicists, he was in an influential circle of medical scholars with great humanistic ambitions. However, his reputation neither originated from his profession nor from his social status, but is owed to his main work, the so-called 'Schedel‘sche Weltchronik' (Nuremberg Chronicle). References GW M40784; ISTC is00307000; Goff S-307; HC 14508; BMC II 437 (IC 7451); Hain 14510; Goff S-309; BMC II, 437; Polain 3471; Schramm XVIII, p.9.; Muther 424; Rücker p.143. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance. Starting price : 45000