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Description
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Liber chronicarum, first edition, 325 leaves (of 328, without 3 blanks as often), 64 lines and headlines, text in Latin, over 1800 woodcut illustrations (including World and Europe maps) by Michael Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydemwurff and their workshop, capital spaces blank, occasional light dampstains, short tear repaired to title, blank upper forecorner of 2 leaves torn away (not touching text), a few single wormholes up to folio XIII, and after folio CCLXXIII, a trace affecting a few letters om approximately 10 leaves, paper tabs (using roundels of Emperors) on 4 leaves, 2 removed with residual scuffmarks, shaved touching 2 pagination numerals and vertical rule border of Europe map, a few early ink annotations on title and some margins, modern blind stamped pigskin [ISTC 00307000; BMC II, 437; Goff S307; Hain *14508], folio (420 x 282mm.), Nuremberg, Anton Koberger, 12 July, 1493
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Lot Note
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First edition of the most lavishly illustrated printed book of the fifteenth century, with over 1800 woodcuts including fine city views. Albrecht Durer, Koberger's godson, was apprenticed to Michael Wolgemut between 1486 and 1489 and therefore it is not impossible that he worked on the designs. Notable are the two double-page maps, one of the World (Shirley 19) based on Mela's Cosmographia (1482), the other of nortern and central Europe. The Latin edition appeared five months prior to a simultaneously planned edition in German.
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