Sales catalogue 203: Gilhofer & Ranschburg

Date:
1928
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/34/5
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue 203: Gilhofer & Ranschburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    42/120 page 20
    PROPHECIES [Birgitta — JLichtenberger]. of her order to male and female members. (repeated on ys); fol. 3 ro. an.armorial woodcut: “‘Kiinig- licher Maiestat wappen’’, five shields (the Imperial Eagle, the Archduchy of Austria, Hungary, Bur- guody, and the Tyrol), surrounded by the Collar of the Golden Fleece; on verso the Waldauff arms. Besides the 10 cuts which are made up of small blocks and with type introduced, there is a splendid and bold woodcut of the Crucifixion with Mary and John (on T4 vo.) and another remarkable full-page cut (on c3 vo.) showing a monk scaling a Ladder to the Court of Heaven, S, Bridget upon a horse in the foreground; on ts vo. the Saint enthroned surrounded by Kings, &c. (many of whom are in the Jaws of Hell). All these cuts are reminiscent of Diirer’s style, and have been assigned to him, but there seems to be mo good reason for the attribution (see C. Dodgson I, pp. 263—64, 277). Our copy, apart from the defective last leaf, is quite perfect and generally in good condition; only at beginning and end it is rather wormed and staned; ome leaf is inlaid; there are some tears and mendings and several MS. annotations in a contemporary hand; library-stamp on title. The binding is rather worn out and wormed, on the front-cover only some remains being left of the covering leather. S. Birgitta. Revelationes celester praeelecte sponse Christi beate Bir gitte vidue de Regno Suecie. Sicque ordinate a religiosis patribus originalis monasterii sancta- rum Marie virginis et Birgitte in Vuatstenis... (Norimbergae) F. Peypus impens. A Kobergers, 1517. fol. Goth. 2 col., 234ff. With beautiful title border in 7 compartments and two full-page woodcuts ascribed to Albrecht Diirer. Orig. stamped pigskin on wooden boards. 300.— Proctor II, 125. For the woodcuts, the Imperial arms and those of Florian Waldauff, who caused this edition to be made, see Dodgson I, 276—77. For the fine title border (possibly by Hans Springinklee), Dodgson I, 415, 353, 376, 433. Passavant (Diirer) III, p. 191, 203. The upper portion of this border is reprod. by Muther, p. 261, No. 428. The third Latin edition of the prophecies of St. Brigitta. A very fine copy in original binding; lower white margin at foot of title restored, otherwise faultless. See Reproduction, plate XVIII. primi tomi miscellaneorum effigies ac exemplar, nimirum vaticiniorum et imaginum super statu summorum Pontificum explanatio. N. p. d. (ab. 1590). 4to, Mark on title and 31 curious woodcuts in the text. Bds. 50.— Very curious work attributed to Joachim of Floris, an Italian mystic theologian, living at the end of the 12th century. This work, The Vaticinia Pontificum, was a powerful instrument in the anti-papal polemic and sustaining the revolted Franciscans in their hope of an approaching triumph. Most of the cuts are satirical representations of popes. Good copy of this rare edition. Lichtenberger, Joa. Pronosticatio in latino. Venetiis (Nic. et Domen. dal Jesu) 23. aug. (1511). 4to, 40 n. leaves (last blank). With woodcut on title, repres. the “chrisme” white on black ground, fine woodc. border to fol. 2vo. enclosing sentences headed “Ptolemeus, Aristoteles, Sibylla (Cumaean siby]), Birgida (S. Bridget), Lulhardus”. These five persons are represented, in the full- page cut on opposite page, as receiving inspiration from Heaven. Besides these there are 44 remarkable woodcuts in the text of different size. Vellum. 650.— Rivoli II, p. 499, mo. 1252. Very fine copy of this extremely rare edition. Lichtenberger, an Alsatian hermit, was astrologer at the court of the emperor Frederick III. (IV.) (1415—93) about 1488: “‘il publia ses voeux de réformes des affaires publiques et ecclésiastiques en forme de prédictions’’. The numerous interesting cuts are very finely designed amd represent curious mystical and prophetical scenes. See Reproductions, p. 21 and 22.
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