MERIAN, Matthaeus, the elder (1593-1650). Todten-Tanz, wie derselbe in der löblichen und weit-berühmten Stadt Basel, als ein Spiegel menschlicher Besschaffenheit, gantz känstlich gemahlet und zusehen ist . Frankfurt: Johann Andrea and H. Hort, [c.1700-1725]. An exceptional hand-coloured copy of a work preserving a visual record of the famous Basel wall-paintings depicting a Dance-of-Death cycle. Dating from the 15th century, they had undergone restoration in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The plates here are printed from the originals used in the Grossbasler Totentanz , first published in Basel in 1621. Merian added the 'Memento mori' plate as well as the famous final 'puzzle' engraving which can be viewed from two directions. The present work conforms to Wüthrich's seventh edition, although he notes that priority cannot be assigned between this and the eighth edition of 1725. Contemporary hand-coloured copies in a complete state are very rare . Wüthrich III, 360, 7. Small quarto (195 x 160mm). Engraved title-page and 44 engravings in the text (complete with the 2 full-page plates 'Memento mori' and the transformation portait of the death of Dives), all finely coloured by a contemporary hand, the title and illustrations (excepting the 'Memento mori' engraving which has text on verso) backed with contemporary marbled paper (occasional very light browning). Contemporary vellum, red edges, marbled endpapers, blank endleaves (extremities lightly rubbed and soiled). Provenance : Richard Moore (early ink purchase inscription with price of 20 francs, in English, neat captions to illustrations in the same hand) – the Arcana collection.
MERIAN, Matthaeus, the elder (1593-1650). Todten-Tanz, wie derselbe in der löblichen und weit-berühmten Stadt Basel, als ein Spiegel menschlicher Besschaffenheit, gantz känstlich gemahlet und zusehen ist . Frankfurt: Johann Andrea and H. Hort, [c.1700-1725]. An exceptional hand-coloured copy of a work preserving a visual record of the famous Basel wall-paintings depicting a Dance-of-Death cycle. Dating from the 15th century, they had undergone restoration in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The plates here are printed from the originals used in the Grossbasler Totentanz , first published in Basel in 1621. Merian added the 'Memento mori' plate as well as the famous final 'puzzle' engraving which can be viewed from two directions. The present work conforms to Wüthrich's seventh edition, although he notes that priority cannot be assigned between this and the eighth edition of 1725. Contemporary hand-coloured copies in a complete state are very rare . Wüthrich III, 360, 7. Small quarto (195 x 160mm). Engraved title-page and 44 engravings in the text (complete with the 2 full-page plates 'Memento mori' and the transformation portait of the death of Dives), all finely coloured by a contemporary hand, the title and illustrations (excepting the 'Memento mori' engraving which has text on verso) backed with contemporary marbled paper (occasional very light browning). Contemporary vellum, red edges, marbled endpapers, blank endleaves (extremities lightly rubbed and soiled). Provenance : Richard Moore (early ink purchase inscription with price of 20 francs, in English, neat captions to illustrations in the same hand) – the Arcana collection.
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