ALEXANDER MAGNUS: Historia Alexandri Magni , in German: Das Buch der Geschicht des grossen Alexanders . Adapted by Johann Hartlieb (c.1410-1468). Strassburg: Martin Schott, 10 December 1488. Chancery 2° (270 x 198mm). Collation: a 8 b-n 6 o 8 p-q 6 r 8 (a1r xylographic title, a1v full-page woodcut of Alexander, a2r Hartlieb's prologue, a3r prologue by Eusebius, a3v text, r7v colophon, r8 blank). 107 (of 108, without final blank) leaves. 39 lines, headline foliation on a2r, 3, and 7 only. Type: 1:99G. 28 woodcuts, including one full-page, large woodcut grotesque initial opening first prologue coloured in red and green, 2 woodcut ornamental initials on r1. 4- to 5-line initial spaces with guide-letters, a few filled in red or green or later ink, red strokes randomly applied on a2r. (Somewhat spotted and stained, a few leaves browned, small wormholes from quire m, small hole in text in 5 leaves, first and final quires strengthened at hinge.) 19th-century marbled calf, blue and red sprinkled edges (rebacked and recornered, a few scratches). Provenance : Abinger (inscription dated 1556 at end, marginal annotations probably in his hand) -- Berlin, Königliches Kupferstichkabinet (stamps dated 1882, de-accession stamp dated 1907). First Strassburg edition of Hartlieb's popular adaptation of the Alexander the Great legend, filled with marvelous tales of the hero's journey to the earthly Paradise and the interpretation of the Wonderstone, his submarine exploration, a visit to Jerusalem, etc. Hartlieb based his adaptation and translation into German, which he completed in about 1444 for Duke Albrecht III of Bavaria and his wife Anna of Braunschweig, on the 10th-century recension of archpriest Leo of Naples ('no version of the Alexander-romance has had a wider influence nor produced more vernacular progeny than this wretched little book' -- Ross, p.47). Schott reprinted Sorg's 1483 edition including copies in reverse of the woodcuts; an error of composition resulted in some text (on Sorg's d5,6) being printed in reverse order. The woodcuts derive from a manuscript now in the Morgan Library, New York (PML ms. 782). See D. Ross, Alexander Historiatus , pp. 49-50, and, by the same author, Illustrated medieval Alexander-Books in Germany and the Netherlands , 1971. HC *791; GW 888; BMC I, 94 (IB. 1178); BSB-Ink. H-287; Schreiber 3138; Davies, Murray German , 27; Goff A-407.
ALEXANDER MAGNUS: Historia Alexandri Magni , in German: Das Buch der Geschicht des grossen Alexanders . Adapted by Johann Hartlieb (c.1410-1468). Strassburg: Martin Schott, 10 December 1488. Chancery 2° (270 x 198mm). Collation: a 8 b-n 6 o 8 p-q 6 r 8 (a1r xylographic title, a1v full-page woodcut of Alexander, a2r Hartlieb's prologue, a3r prologue by Eusebius, a3v text, r7v colophon, r8 blank). 107 (of 108, without final blank) leaves. 39 lines, headline foliation on a2r, 3, and 7 only. Type: 1:99G. 28 woodcuts, including one full-page, large woodcut grotesque initial opening first prologue coloured in red and green, 2 woodcut ornamental initials on r1. 4- to 5-line initial spaces with guide-letters, a few filled in red or green or later ink, red strokes randomly applied on a2r. (Somewhat spotted and stained, a few leaves browned, small wormholes from quire m, small hole in text in 5 leaves, first and final quires strengthened at hinge.) 19th-century marbled calf, blue and red sprinkled edges (rebacked and recornered, a few scratches). Provenance : Abinger (inscription dated 1556 at end, marginal annotations probably in his hand) -- Berlin, Königliches Kupferstichkabinet (stamps dated 1882, de-accession stamp dated 1907). First Strassburg edition of Hartlieb's popular adaptation of the Alexander the Great legend, filled with marvelous tales of the hero's journey to the earthly Paradise and the interpretation of the Wonderstone, his submarine exploration, a visit to Jerusalem, etc. Hartlieb based his adaptation and translation into German, which he completed in about 1444 for Duke Albrecht III of Bavaria and his wife Anna of Braunschweig, on the 10th-century recension of archpriest Leo of Naples ('no version of the Alexander-romance has had a wider influence nor produced more vernacular progeny than this wretched little book' -- Ross, p.47). Schott reprinted Sorg's 1483 edition including copies in reverse of the woodcuts; an error of composition resulted in some text (on Sorg's d5,6) being printed in reverse order. The woodcuts derive from a manuscript now in the Morgan Library, New York (PML ms. 782). See D. Ross, Alexander Historiatus , pp. 49-50, and, by the same author, Illustrated medieval Alexander-Books in Germany and the Netherlands , 1971. HC *791; GW 888; BMC I, 94 (IB. 1178); BSB-Ink. H-287; Schreiber 3138; Davies, Murray German , 27; Goff A-407.
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
