Dr. Jörn Günther • Antiquariat
www.guenther-rarebooks.com

CONTENTS

Illuminated manuscripts

  1. Canones conciliorum, written by an insular scribe,
    Northern Italy, c. 775
  2. Psalter, so-called Bernwardpsalter,
    Germany, Hildesheim, c. 1020
  3. Gospel Lectionary, Byzantium,
    Constantinople,c. 1100
  4. St Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, Upper
    Austria, Lambach Abbey, second half 12th century
  5. Vita Christi, Life of Christ and of the Virgin,
    Northern England,York, c.1190-1200,
    and East Anglia, Norfolk, c.1480-90
  6. Antiphonary, illuminated choirbook, Italy,Venice
    (San Marco), c. 1250 (between 1238 and 1264)
  7. Psalter and biblia latina with the interpretation
    of the Hebrew names, France, Lorraine, Metz, c. 1250
  8. Psalter for the use of Brussels, Northern France,
    Paris, c. 1260
  9. Biblia latina with the interpretations of
    the Hebrew names, Southern France,Toulouse,
    last quarter of the 13th century
  10. Psalter, illuminiated for Gui de Dampierre,
    Southern Netherlands, Bruges, c. 1280
  11. Speculum humanae salvationis, illuminated
    with pen-and-ink drawings by Magister Konrad,
    Austria, before 1386
  12. Book of hours, use of Chartres, illuminated by
    the Bedford workshop, France, Paris, c. 1400-10
  13. Psalter, Spain, Barcelona, shortly after 1400
    and c. 1440-50
  14. Book of hours, use of Rome, illuminated by
    Pseudo-Jacquemart, France, Paris, c. 1410
  15. The so-called Wardington Hours, hours of
    the Passion, illuminated by the Bedford workshop,
    France, Paris, c. 1410 and 1430
  16. Wirnt von Grafenberg, Wigalois (manuscript k),
    illustrated by the circle of the Workshop of 1418
    and of Diebold Lauber,Alsace, c. 1420-30
  17. I.Thomas de Chobham, Summa de poenitentia,
    dat. 1422; II. Stephan Palecz, Utilia contra errantes;
    III. Johannes Andreae, Processus iudicalis – et al.;
    Austria, Seitenstetten, c. 1422
  18. Joachim di Fiore Vaticinia sive Prophetiae
    et Imagines Summorum Pontificum,
    illustrated by the workshop of Lorenzo
    di Pietro ‘Il Vecchietta’, Benvenuto di Giovanni,
    Italy, Siena, c. 1450 and c. 1464
  19. Bruder Philipp, Marienleben
    and other texts, Upper Rhine, c. 1450
  20. German prayerbook with metalcuts, Germany,
    Cologne and Tyrol, Diocese of Brixen,
    dated 1458
  21. Book of hours, use of Paris, illuminated by
    the Master of Jacques de Luxembourg, France,
    Paris, c. 1460-70
  22. Book of hours, use of Rome, illuminated by the
    Master of Marguerite de Liederkerke, Flanders,
    Hainault, Mons or Valenciennes, c. 1500
  23. Croy-Arenberg Book of Hours, use of Sarum,
    with miniatures by the Master of Sir George
    Talbot, the Master of the First Prayer Book of
    Maximilian and the Master of the David Scenes
    in the Grimani Breviary, Flanders, Ghent,
    1505 and c. 1510-20
  24. Berault Stuart (Bernard Stewart),
    Traité sur l’art de la guerre, Northern France, Paris,
    second quarter 16th century
  25. Battista Agnese, Portolan Atlas, Italy,Venice,
    signed and dated 5 February 1544


    26. Early Prints

  26. Nativity, Single-leaf print, Southern Germany,
    c. 1440
  27. The Good Sheperd – ihesus xpristus,
    Single-leaf print, Southern Germany,
    West-Swabian, c. 1460-70
  28. Block-book – Ars Memorandi per figuras
    Evangelistarum, first print of first edition,
    Southern Germany, Nuremberg, c. 1470
  29. Block-book – Der Antichrist und die fünfzehn Zeichen
    Germany, Nuremberg: Hans Briefmaler 1472,
    second edition, i.e. Hans Sporer, 1470
  30. Celestial vision at Constantinople. Kunt und
    wissennt sey allermeniglich das ein sölich geschicht
    unnd erschreckliches erschein gesehen ist worden hinter
    Canstantinopel ..., Single leaf print, Southern
    Germany, Nuremberg c. 1491
  31. Biblia Latina – A single leaf,Mainz: Johann
    Gutenberg and Johann Fust,‘c. 1454/55’; rather 1452-1454
  32. Psalterium Benedictum Congregationis Bursfeldensis
    – A single leaf, Mainz: Johann Fust
    and Peter Schöffer, 29 August 1459
  33. I.Thomas de Aquino. Summa de articulis fidei,
    Mainz: Printer of the Catholicon before 1460
    or Peter Schöffer c. 1469
    II. Matthaeus de Cracovia. Dialogus rationis
    et conscientiae de frequenti usu Communionis,
    Mainz: see above, c. 1469;
    III.Antoninus Florentinus. Confessionale:
    Defecerunt.With: Johannes Chrysostomus. Sermo
    de poenitentia, Cologne: Ulrich Zell, c. 1470
  34. Johannes Balbus, Catholicon, Mainz: printer of
    the Catholicon, probably Gutenberg workshop
    1460, c. 1472, or 1469
  35. Rudimentum Novitiorum, Lubeck: Lucas Brandis,
    5 August 1475
  36. Speculum humanae salvationis, German:
    ein spiegel der menschlichen behaltnisze,
    Basel: Bernhard Richel, 31 August 1476
  37. Conrad von Megenberg, Das buch der Natur,
    Augsburg: Johann Bämler, 20 August 1481
  38. Auslegung – Messe singen oder lesen wer
    das thun sol, wenn, wie oder wo, Nuremberg:
    Friedrich Creussner, not after 1482
  39. Jacobus de Theramo, Belial. Cy commence le proces
    de Belial a l’encontre de Ihesus. Lyon, Mathias Huss:
    19 May 1486
  40. Compilation of ten French
    literary incunabula, Paris, 1488-c. 95, among them Olivier
    de la Marche, Le Chevalier Délibéré. Paris: Guy Marchand
    or Antoine Caillaut for Antoine Vérard,
    8 August 1488
  41. Olivier de la Marche. Le Chevalier Délibéré,
    Gouda, printer of the Chevalier délibéré,
    Collaciebroeders, after 31 October 1489
  42. Petrus de Crescentiis, Ruralia commoda.
    In commodum ruralium cum figuris libri duodecim,
    Speyer: Peter Drach, not before 1493
  43. Alanus de Rupe, Von dem psalter unnd Rosen
    krancz unser lieben frauen.Wie man den beten sol,
    Augsburg: Anton Sorg, 1492
  44. Der Doten dantz mit figuren. Clage und
    Antwort schon von allen staten der welt,
    Mainz: Jacob Meydenbach, c. 1492
  45. Fiore di virtù. Questa sie una utilissima operetta
    acada uno fidel christiano chiamata fior de virtu,Venice:
    Matteo Capcasa di Codeca, 15 January 1493
  46. Christophorus Columbus, De insulis nuper
    in mari Indico inventis, and Carolus Verardus,
    Historia Baetica. In laudem Serenissimi
    Ferdinandi Hispaniarum regis Bethicae & regni
    Granatae obsidio, victoria & triumphus,
    Basel: Johann Bergmann von Olpe, 1494
  47. Scriptores Astronomici veteres: Julius Firmicus
    Maternus, Mathesis and other Greek and Roman
    astronomical texts,Venice:Aldus Manutius, 1499
  48. a: La dance macabre des hommes, Paris,
    widow of Jehan Treperel and Jehan Jehannot,
    c. 1512-22 234

     b: La dance macabre des femmes toutes
    hystories & augmentee de nouveau, Paris,
    Jehan Treperel (II), c. 1525-32
  49. Martin Luther, Das newe testament deutzsch,
    Wittenberg: Melchior Lotter, 1524
  50. Aurelius Theodosius Macrobius, In somnium
    Scipionis libri II. Saturnaliorum libri VII.
    Basel: Johannes Herwagen the Elder, 1535

    Key to bibliographical references

Unique copy of superb Franconian block-book

29 Der Antichrist und die fünfzehn Zeichen, block-book

Nuremberg: Hans Briefmaler 1472 [i.e. Hans Sporer, 1470?]. Second xylographic block-book edition, preserved in this one copy only.

2°, 290 x 192 mm. 38 leaves, complete. Printed anopistographically, i.e. on only one side of the sheets.Watermarks:Two different bull’s heads without additions, damages at the horn, the ear, the eye and the nostril. – Partly coloured woodblock print with 54 illustrations in total. 27 of 54 illustrations show hints of blue colouring, some of crimson, a dark greenish yellow, sepia and light lilac-rose. – Over all in good condition. Modern pencil foliation in upper right corner. Small tears in the two outermost leaves delicately restored. – Thread sewing, preserved in a modern leather box, the original calf-leather binding of c. 1500 enclosed, which has been kept with it. Covers with double frame of blind-tooled lines, outer frame with circular stamps and rosettes, central panel on front cover with palmette stamp in rhomboid tendrils, central panel of back cover with two vertical rows of rosettes. Inside covered in pigskin before stamping. Inlay of spine replaced with strip of parchment. Dimensions of covers: 271 x 192/205 mm, i.e. too short both ways for the volume.They may have been trimmed earlier on.

PROVENANCE: The binding indicates a provenance from the Cistercian monastery of Heilsbronn (Kyriss: workshop 12, fl. c. 1469-1527). 2. Perhaps part of the books from Heilsbronn, which margrave Georg Friedrich of Ansbach-Bayreuth (1539-1603) acquired in 1578. Finally inherited by Ernst der Fromme of Sachsen-Gotha (1601-1675) who founded the Ducal library in 1647. 3. fol. 1a with stamp “Bibliotheca Ducalis Gothana”. 4. Sold in 1950 to M. Sinelnikoff/Orion Booksellers, London. 5. 1952-1958 private collection U.S.A. 6.Antiquariat August Laube, Zurich. 7. Collection Otto Schäfer, Schweinfurt, OS 125.

CONTENT: Our copy is the only known surviving example of the second block-book edition of this text. Block-books contain an inseparable combination of text and images that must be read together. Religious subjects, such as the Biblia pauperum, the Canticles, the Ars moriendi, the Speculum humanae salvationis or the Apocalypse dominate. The texts were often printed in German so as to make them accessible to lay people as well. The Antichrist und die fünfzehn Zeichen (Antichrist and the Fifteen Signs of Doomsday, here Entkrist) consists of a cycle of illustrations with explanatory texts. The text was compiled anonymously in the early 15th century, its principal sources being the Compendium theologicae veritatis by the Dominican Hugo Ripelin of Strasbourg (c. 1210) and the Legenda aurea by Jacobus de Voragine (1228/30-1298). It relates the life of the Antichrist, a false prophet, whose dubious miracles and untrue teachings form a negative parallel to the life of the Saviour. His defeat is followed by the Last Judgement, related in Die 15 Zeichen vor dem Jüngsten Gericht, a self-contained treatise but one which was often combined with others, as in the present edition. This popular text depicts the Last Jugdement in alarming detail in order to kindle the reader’s fears and summon him to penitence. Its well-balanced woodcuts with dark outlines give the work a direct and pointed expressiveness. Sporer, the printer, appears to have executed his copies by tracing the outlines, as indicated by their exact congruence with the model, especially in the texts. Carving of the blocks was reduced by limiting the content of the images to the essential characters, omitting, for example, animals superfluous to a straightforward understanding of the picture.At the same time, landscapes were reduced to a simple line marking the horizon. PRINT: Both the richly illustrated contents and the technique of production lend a special appeal to block-books.The question of when and where block-books were invented is still unresolved, although due to their more ‘archaic’ printing technique block-books were long regarded as the forerunners to Gutenberg’s invention of moveable type in c. 1455.However, it is now generally accepted that the two reproduction methods existed side by side. One important advantage of block-books was the fact that the wood-blocks could be stored over a long period, whereas the typeset of a book printed with Gutenberg’s technique had to be broken up after printing in order to be reused, storage being too expensive. In contrast, block-books allowed for new copies to be printed on request – comparable to the modern principle of ‘publishing on demand’.

PRINTER: The imprint at the bottom of the first printed page gives the name of Hans Briefmaler, the place of printing, Nuremberg, and the date 147? (“Der jung hannß prieff maler hat das puch zu nurenberg o N 1° 4° 7° 2ff ”).The reading of the final figure of the date is not certain;Ferdinand Geldner and Bernhard Bischoff suggested the date 1470 (cf. von Arnim p. 68). In the later edition this figure and the place-name were erased from the wood block. Hans Briefmaler has been identified as Hans Sporer (Spoerer), who was active in Nuremberg between c. 1470 and 1474, where he produced single-leaf woodcuts and playing cards as well as several block-books. In 1487 and then from 1491 onwards he is documented as a printer in Bamberg where he issued mostly popular edifying and entertaining treatises. He was banned from Bamberg in 1494 for having published a satirical poem, after which he moved to Erfurt where he re-started his business.

RARITY: Rarissimum: the only recorded copy of this edition. Block-book editions of Der Antichrist und die fünfzehn Zeichen are extremely rare. The chiroxylographic edition survives in only one complete copy and a few single leaves. Of the first xylographic edition (“I” according to Schreiber) five copies plus seven fragments are recorded.The Antichrist printed by Hans Sporer is a copy of this edition, of which two variants are known:the one at hand is the earlier variant, printed anopisthographically and surviving only in this one copy. Sporer produced a later opistographic reprint, for which he used the same, meanwhile separated blocks. Of this reprint, too, only one copy exists (Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek Xyl. 2).

LITERATURE: Schreiber IX (manuel IV), p. 217-231, ed. II/1; Arnim 1984, Xylo-B; Verfasserlexikon I, col. 400f.; Gerhardt/Palmer 2002, K 16 b) c1. Kyriss 1951-58, pp. 16-17 and pl. 25; Geldner 1968, pp. 52-53; exh. cat. Mainz 1991.