Beschreibung
30 October 1475. Folio (285 x 210 mm). 263 (of 294) unnumbered leaves, including two final blanks, but lacking 31 text leaves (f. 1-15, 24-26, 34-35, 129-136, 153, 287-288 including entire gatherings b and p). With 9 (of 12) full-page woodcut illustrations, all in original hand-color, each opening the chapters 3 to 5 and 7 to 12 (lacking the first two and that to chapter 6); two- to three-line Lombard initials printed in outline, five- to eight-line hand-colored woodcut Maiblumen-initials opening each chapter. Signatures: [a2 b12 c-i10 k8 l6 m-o10 p-r8 s-z10 A-C10 D-E8 F-G10 H-I8 (-a2, b12, c1, c10, d1-2, d10, e1, p8, s1, I1-2). All leaves uncut with the deckle edges entirely preserved. [Bound with II.] Regimen sanitatis - Das ist von der ordenung der gesuntheyt. Augsburg: Johann Bämler, 13 November 1475. 46 (of 52) leaves (lacking first blank a1, the register a2, text leaves b8, b9, f1 and the final colophon leaf f10). Collation: [a2 b-f10]. 28 lines, type and print space identical to the previous work. Two Maiblumen-initials, three-line Lombard initials printed in outline. Contemporary gothic Augsburg binding of blindstamped calf over thick wooden boards, spine with 3 raised bands, original brass catch- and anchor-plates preserved (straps and clasps gone). The wooden boards slightly bent, the leather heavily chipped at bottom of upper-board and fore-edge of lower board, the spine ends reinforced with broad leather patches, these hand-lettered in white, pastedowns renewed, no flyleaves. Old leather guides to chapter opening leaves preserved. Little even browning of paper throughout. Some brown spotting and finger-soiling in places; water- and lampoil staining mostly to inner margin of first and final gatherings; several leaves with clean tears and a few torn with loss (these old repaired with patches of paper manuscripts); a few wormholes; edge chipping and -fraying to a few leaves. Provenance: from a South German collection of a pharmacist, bought by collector at German auction house in 1987 (lot no. 55, ?23 000); two old armorial ink stamps "Ioann Andres / Notarius Puplicus" on one text leaf. A few short annotations in ink; Cristoff Hueber* (long ownership inscription on final blank leaf verso and two shorter inscriptions elsewhere, all dated 1620). ---- EDITIO PRINCEPS AND OF UTMOST RARITY IN ANY CONDITION of Das Buch der Natur by Conrad von Megenberg, which occupies a unique position in the history of botany and zoology, for it is the first work in which a wood-cut representing plants and animals was used with the definite intention of illustrating the text, and not merely for a decorative purpose (cf. Arber). The figures are the earliest printed pictures of natural history and mark the beginning of scientific iconography. Conrad von Megenberg (c. 1309-1374), a professor of philosophy and canon of the Cathedral of Regensburg, based his text on the De natura rerum, a thirteenth-century work attributed to Thomas of Cantimpré (c. 1201-63), but considered by Conrad to be in fact a work of the young Albertus Magnus, Thomas' teacher. Influenced by Bartholomaeus Anglicus' "Liber de proprietatibus rerum", Conrad revised the text before dedicating it to the Austrian Duke Rudolf IV between 1358 and 1362. The introduction to each chapter contains moralizing aphorisms and theological ideas, and Conrad's descriptions of natural phenomena are usually followed by further theological or astrological explanations. With sections on human anatomy, astronomy and meteorology, zoology (including entomology), botany, precious and semiprecious stones and metals, and natural marvels or monsters, the Buch der Natur was the first such encyclopaedic work to be printed in any vernacular tongue. The late medieval knowledge about man, the heavens and the seven planets, the stars, the elements, the winds, the domestic and wild animals, the birds, the sea wonders, . . . - Visit our website for further reading and to see all the images! Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 003640
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