Beschreibung:

BIBLE, GERMAN -- Biblia, das ist: Die gantze heilige Schrifft: Deudsch . Translated from Hebrew, Greek and Latin by MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546), revised by the translator with assistance from Melanchthon, Bugenhagen, Jonas, Cruciger and others. Wittenberg: Hans Lufft, 1560-1561. 2 volumes, royal 2° (380 x 240 mm). Collation, v.I: )( 6 (1.6 disjunct, 1 r title printed in red and black with border, 1 v blank, 2 r Luther's Warnung against corrupt pirated editions, 2 v prologue to Old Testament, 6 r O.T. table, 6 v illustration); A-Z a-z Aa-Kk 6 Ll 8 (A1 r Das I. buch Mose , incipit: Am Anfang schuff Gott Himel und Erden , Ll8 r explicit: Ende des Hohenlieds Salomo, colophon: Wittemberg. Gedruckt durch Hans Lufft. 1561 , Ll8 v blank); v.II: A-Z a-z Aa-Ss 6 (A1 r title Die Propheten alle Deutsch. D. Mar. Lu. 1561 , A1 v blank, A2 r Vorrede auff die Propheten , incipit: Es scheinet fur der vernunfft fast ein geringe ding umb die Propheten sein , A5 r Jesaja , incipit: Dis ist das gesichte Jesaja: des sons Amoz , p4 v Vorrede auff das newe Testament , incipit: Gleich wie das alte Testament ist ein Buch , p5 v Evangelium S. Matthes , incipit: Dis ist das Buch von der geburt Jhesu Christi , S4 v explicit: Ende des newen Testaments , colophon: Wittemberg. Gedruckt durch Hans Lufft. 1560 , S5-6 blank). [6], 344 and 382, [2] leaves. PRINTED ON VELLUM. 7 sizes of gothic types (title, headings 2, text, prologues, marginalia 2), roman chapter numbers. 54 lines and headline. Woodcut and metalcut historiated and floral initials. Fine woodcut pictorial title-border by LUCAS CRANACH THE YOUNGER (295 x 205 mm); full-page woodcut of the Creation by HANS BROSAMER dated 1550 (225 x 148 mm); woodcut title-border to v.II showing putti, a coat-of-arms, a monkey and a bird in vine-branches (200 x 145 mm); 170 WOODCUTS, the majority by GEORG LEMBERGER (115 x 135 mm), but the 20 cuts to Prophets and the 37 APOCALYPSE ILLUSTRATIONS by Brosamer (105 x 145 mm). CONTEMPORARY SAXON BINDING of blind-tooled white pigskin over heavy oak boards, bevelled edges, the sides with multiple borders including an outer crest, a wide roll of scenes in the life of Christ, a narrower one of religious subjects and an inner roll of Renaissance ornament and portraits, small coat-of-arms of the Duke of Saxony gilt-stamped in the corners of the centre panel, the initials D.D.H.M.F.V.F.E.M.S. [Der Durchlauchtigste Herzog ... zu Sachsen] on front covers, I.P. [Johann Pyrner] and the date 1564 on back covers, large chased brass cornerpieces with bosses and incorporating an eagle displayed, mounted on both covers over a blue vellum ground, heavy cross with large central boss, catches, gilt and gauffered edges, vellum endleaves (binding rubbed, front covers soiled, labels removed from spines, catches gone, but in very good, unrestored condition). Provenance : PRESENTATION COPY FROM DUKE AUGUST OF SAXONY to his revenue-secretary ("Renthschreiber") Johann Pyrner, who is exhorted through the steward ("Renthmeister") Bartel Lauterbach to apply himself and read in this Bible (highly accomplished calligraphic inscription on the front free vellum endleaf of v.I within gold-painted frame, in German gothic textura script, with two complex decorative initials, dated from Dresden 6th August 1564). The limited vellum issue of this edition had been financed by Duke August. EARLY LUTHER BIBLE EDITIONS PRINTED ON VELLUM ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND PYRNER'S SET SURVIVES IN THE FINEST POSSIBLE CONDITION. The influence of Luther's version on the German language was as deep as that of the Authorised version on English. The German protestant publishers popularized Luther's translation by extensively illustrating their editions. This continued the tradition of most of the dozen incunable editions of the medieval High German version. Lemberger's series and Brosamer's particularly fine cuts complemented each other and Lufft used them in combination for a number of his editions. Cranach's often-reproduced a