NUREMbERG ChRONiclE

the
Nuremberg Chronicle
German translation of
Hartmann Schedel’s Liber chronicarum.
A superior large margined copy in an
antiphonal vellum binding.
The Nuremberg Chronicle
German translation of
Hartmann Schedel’s Liber chronicarum.
S
chedel, Hartmann, 1440-1514; author. Koberger, Anton, c. 14401513; printer. Wolgemut, Michael, 1434-1519, and Pleydenwurff,
Wilhelm, 1460-1494; joint illustrators. Alt, Georg, c. 1450-1510;
translator. Schreyer, Sebald, 1446-1520, and Kammermaister, Sebastian,
1446-1503; publishers and patrons.
Also titled: Das Buch der Chroniken und Geschichten; Register des Buchs der Croniken und
Geschichten mit figure und Pildnussen von Anbeginn der Welt bis auf dise unsere Zeit; Die
Schedelsche Weltchronik (Schedel’s World History).
[Nuremberg: published by Anton Koberger for Sebald Schreyer and
Sebastian Kammermeister, 23 December 1493].
F
irst edition in German. Elephant folio. Printed in Bastarda
(Schwabacher in German) Gothic typeface with Lombard initials.
62 lines printed on most leaves plus headline, a few tables and pages of text
in 2 columns. With foliation, initials spaces, initials, and a xylographic “title”.
Initial spaces not filled in. Without rubrication. 645 uncoloured woodcut
illustrations by Wilhem Pleydenwurff and Michael Wolgemut, repeated to
1,809 images. [10], CCLXXXVI, [1] leaves (or [297] leaves). 44 × 30 cm. No
signatures and no catchwords. Collation: [1]10 [2]6 [3-5]4 [6-9]6 [10]2 [11]4
[12-14]6 [15]2 [16-17]6 [18-23]4 [24-27]6 [28]2 [29]6 [30]4 [31-33]6 [34]2
[35]4 [36-50]6 [51-52]4 [53-55]6 [56]6([56]5 + χ2) (last leaf blank). Standard
references vary on the composition of the last gathering. There is no actual
title page, as is the case with all early
printed books. The recto of the first leaf,
which is printed xylographically, reads as
follows: Register Des | buchs der Cro- |
niken vnd geschichten | mit figure vnd
pildnus | sen von anbegiñ der welt | bis
auf dise vñsere Zeit. Written in ink on
this leaf is the following (approximate
transcription): Sum | M. Gabrielis |
Balameri Argenti | mensis Anno Christi
| i 6 32. This suggests that the book may
have been once owned by someone called
Gabrielis, a silversmith, in the year 1632.
B
ound in antiphonal vellum over wooden boards with musical notation
in red and black. In early printed books, it was common practice
for leaves from a medieval book, such as an antiphonal (a book containing
the choral parts of the Divine Office) to be used for binding purposes. The
liturgical music on the upper board has the familiar refrain, “Surrexit dominus
vere” (“The Lord is truly risen”), but the country of origin and dating of the
antiphonal leaves are unknown. The spine has been professionally rebacked
with brown leather and raised bands by Felton Bookbinding. Although the
boards have been skillfully repaired, there is one very small tear at the edge of
the upper board and three small tears at the edge of the lower board. New tie
strings. Red and black ink decoratively sprinkled on the fore-edges. Laid paper
of varied thickness, durable and supple, most leaves quite thick and textured,
vertical chain lines, with a fleur-de-lys styled watermark (pattern K (a), see
Christoph Reske, Die Produktion der Schedelschen Weltchronik in Nürnberg,
vol. 1, p. 7) on a number of leaves (for example, fols. V and XXIII; fols. III
and XIV upside down). The front and rear endpapers and conjunct leaves
are also laid paper but with horizontal chain lines, probably of a later origin
(crown watermark); the front endpaper and conjunct leaf have slight tears at
the edges. There is a tiny worm hole on fols. CXLVII-CL and a very small
hole on the last two leaves extending to the rear endpaper and conjunct leaf.
There is minor foxing and embrowning on a number of leaves and some water
staining on fols. CCII-CCIII, CCVII-CCXII, CCLVI-CCL, and CCLXXXCCLXXXV. Housed in a handsome clamshell box in chocolate cloth, quarter
bound in matching leather with raised bands and gold and blind tooling. Light
pencil notation and a tiny 19th-century reference sticker on the front paste
down. Fol. CCLXXIX is an inserted replacement leaf but is not noticeable
as such. The woodcut of Pope Joan with her baby (“Joannes Septimus” on
fol. CLXIXv) is not mutilated as is the case in some copies. However, it does
have green underlining. There are three idiosyncrasies to this copy. First,
Hugo Cardinal has a faint ghost due to double printing (fol. CCXIIIr). Then a
variant woodblock is used for S. Katherina von Senis (fol. CCXXXIIIIr), and,
most humorously, Saint Valentine’s heart is inked out (fol. CXXXVIIr).
The Nuremberg Chronicle is an epic, illustrated history of the Christian
world, beginning with the Garden of Eden and extending to the medieval
period. It was commissioned by two Nuremberg merchants, Sebald Schreyer
and Sebastian Kammermeister, in December 1491. Written by the physician,
humanist, and book collector Hartmann Schedel and first published in
Latin on 12 July 1493 in an edition of 1,400-1,500 copies, it is known for its
evocative woodcuts, depicting 100 panoramas of famous towns and cities
in Europe and the Middle East (for example, Perugia, Jericho, Jerusalem,
Prague, Florence, Verona, and most
certainly, Nuremburg), portraits of
famous rulers, thinkers, popes, and saints,
biblical scenes, and historical events. The
depiction of Nuremberg is the only twopage illustration of a city, highlighting
thereby its logistical importance as a
cultural, commercial, and architectural
centre within the Holy Roman Empire
with large, impressive churches, a castle,
towers, city gate, and bridge, as well as
the paper mill in the bottom right corner.
The German translation, undertaken
by George Alt, a scribe at the Nuremberg treasury, was published on 23
December 1493 in an edition of 700 to 1000 German copies. It is estimated
that approximately 400 Latin and 300 German copies have survived into
the twenty-first century; these estimates vary considerably depending on
cited sources. WorldCat records no more than 75 individual copies of the
German edition in libraries throughout the world (only one copy in Canada,
located at Victoria University in the University of Toronto). Quite clearly,
the German edition is scarcer than its Latin counterpart. Jeremy Norman,
the foremost dealer selling rare books, manuscripts, and prints in the history
of science, medicine, and technology, has stated: “Between roughly 1980
and 2009 there were 188 auction sales
recorded for the Latin edition and 35
sales of the German edition, some sales
presumably representing the same copies
being resold.” The German edition is
generally faithful to the Latin text but
is a slightly abridged translation. It has
been suggested that the Latin edition was
aimed at the theological and academic
market whereas the German translation
was intended for the upper middle class
of Nuremburg society and its environs.
R
eference is made to the
translator on fol. CCLXIIv
and the colophon. The former is as
follows: “Auss götlichem beystand
endet sich alhie das büch von den
geschihten der alter der werlt vnd
von beschreibung der berümbtisten
vnd namhaftigisten stett sagende
durch Georgium alt dessmals
losungschreiber der kaiserlichẽ
reichssstatt Nürmberg auss latein
in teütsch gebracht vnd beschlossẽ
nach der gepurt Cristi Jhesu vnssers
haylands − M.cccc.xciij: iar am
fünften tag des monats Octobris.
Altithrono sint perpetue landes. a g.
alt.” English translation: “By divine
assistance is now here ended the
book of histories of the ages of
the world, and the descriptions of the most celebrated and renowned cities,
translated from the Latin into the German by George Alt, a Losungschreiber
of the imperial city of Nuremberg, and concluded on the 5th day of the
month of October, a.d. 1493. To the exalted throne be given everlasting
praise. George Alt.”
F
ollowing the “title leaf ” and register or table of contents (fols.
[1-10]), Schedel begins his history on a philosophical note stating
that there are varying and conflicting opinions of the origins of the world
(“that the world was not born and that it is indestructible; that the human
race has existed from eternity”). But he rejects these opinions as “old errors
and looks at the mysterious Mosaic writings about the creation of the
world and of the work of the six days in which the mysteries of all nature
are comprehended.” Schedel’s history is divided into seven ages: first age,
from creation to the Deluge (fols. VIv-Xv); second age, up to the birth
of Abraham (fols. XIr-XXIr); third age, up to King David (fols. XXIvXXXXVIr); fourth age, up to the Babylonian captivity (fols. XXXXVIvLXIIIr); fifth age, up to the birth of Christ (fols. LXIIIr-XCVIIr); sixth age,
up to the present time (fols. XCVIIv-CCLIXR); seventh age, the outlook
on the end of the world and the Last Judgment (fols. CCLIXr-CCLXVIr).
The seven ages are followed by an addenda (fols. CCLXVIr-CCLXXXVIr),
a map of the known world (fol. CCLXXXVIv and the recto of the last
unnumbered leaf), and the colophon (the verso of the last unnumbered leaf).
T
he colophon reads as follows: “Hie ist entlich beschlossen das
büch der Cronicken vnd gedechtnus wirdigern geschihte[n]
vo[n] anbegyn[n] d[er] werlt bis auf dise vnssere zeit vo[n]
hohgelerte[n] Manne[n] in latein mit grossem fleiss vnd rechtfertigung
versa[m]melt, vnd durch Georgium alten dessmals losungschreiber
zu Nürmberg auss de[n]selben latein zu zeiten von maynung vnd
maynung ... durch den erbern vnnd achtpern Anthonien koberger
daselbst zu Nürmberg gedruckt ... Volbracht am. xxiij. tag des monats
Decembris Nach der gepurt Cristi vnssers haylands M.cccc.xciij. iar.”
E
nglish translation: “Here is finally concluded the Book of
Chronicles and memorable histories, from the beginning
of the world to our own time, collected in Latin with great industry
and judgment by highly learned men, and by George Alt, erstwhile
treasury scribe (Losungschreiber) at Nuremberg, brought from the
same Latin into this German, word for word, and occasionally (but
not without reason) abridged and thereafter printed at Nuremberg
by the honorable and respected Anthony Koberger, at the suggestion
and according to the wishes of the wise and honorable Sebald
Sohreyer and Sebastian Kamermaister, citizens there, and with the
co-operation of Michael Wolgemut and William Pleydenwurff, artists
and fellow citizens there, who ably adorned the work with illustrations.
Completed on the 23rd day of the month of December, after the
birth of Christ our Saviour 1493 years.”
W
ith the exception of Copernicus’s De Revolutionibus
orbium coelestium (Nuremberg, 1543), The Nuremberg
Chronicle is without question the greatest book ever printed in
Nuremberg. It is also one of the most important illustrated incunables,
an extraordinary, mammoth project of printing and graphic design
more ambitious in scope than any other undertaking of its kind during
the fifteenth century. It profoundly reflects Schedel’s Christian faith
and intellectual outlook, providing a window from the medieval era
into the Renaissance. This is not just a book of history, geography, and
natural wonders but a true work of art. The two artists responsible
for the book’s decoration and aesthetic sensibility, Wohlgemut and
his stepson Pleydenwurff, had their own workshop in Nuremburg
where draughtsmen and carvers transferred the drawings onto wood
blocks. Art historians have conjectured that Albrecht Dürer (14711528), Wohlgemut’s apprentice and Koberger’s godfather, must have
contributed to the illustrations in some way.
References:
Hain-Copinger, 14510; Proctor, 2086; BM 15th cent., II, p. 437 (IC. 7458);
BN cat. des incun., S-163; BSB-Ink., S-197; Goff, S-309; Klebs, 890.1;
Schreiber, W.L. Manuel, 5205; Scramm, XVII, p. 9; ISTC no. is00309000.
I
n short, this is a very attractive, superb copy of
the German translation of Hartmann Schedel’s
Liber chronicarum, only surpassed by contemporary copies
with lavishly hand-coloured plates. This splendid copy
is complete with solid and strong inking in the text and
illustrations. The antiphonal binding and the inscription
on the first leaf suggest that at one time it may have
been housed in a monastery or church, perhaps owned
by a person named Gabrielis. Its later provenance is
unfortunately shrouded in mystery.
$145,000.00 CDN
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