Beschreibung:

SCHEDEL, Hartmann (1440-1514). Liber chronicarum , in German: Das Buch der Croniken und Geschichten mit figuren und pildnussen . Translated by Georg Alt (ca. 1450-1510). Nuremberg: Anton Koberger 23 December 1493. Imperial 2° (448 x 311 mm). 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 53-56 6 57 2 ] (1/1r title, verso blank, 1/2r table, 2/1r text, 57/1r blank, 57/1v-2r map of Europe, 57v colophon). 298 leaves, 2/1-57/1 foliated i-CCLXXXVI (with errors). Table and parts of the text in two columns, 59-62 lines (variable) and headline. Types 24:111G (text), 9:165G (headlines). Xylographic title. Initial spaces in table (one 6- and 22 3-line) and on 2/1r (9-line), printed initials elsewhere. 645 woodcuts in many different sizes, repeated to a total of over 1800 illustrations, by Michael Wolgemut Wilhelm Pleydenwurff and their workshop, probably including the young Albrecht Dürer the woodcuts including 29 double-page town views extending across 2 pages, 8 full-page cuts, a world map (Shirley 19), and a map of Europe by Hieronymus Münzer after Nicolas Khrypffs, THE WOODCUTS FULLY COLORED THROUGHOUT BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND. Opening initials to table and text finely illuminated by a contemporary South German artist in blue with white tracery on punch-decorated gold leaf ground, the larger initial within a red and green border, both with variously colored floral extensions; smaller pearled and flourished initials in alternating red and blue. (World map, Europe map, and 3 leaves (CII, CV and CXCIII) with repaired tears into text or woodcut, Europe map dampstained and with loss to small area at right-hand border, a few small holes at fold of world map, most of the double-page views reinforced along gutter on versos, causing occasional browning from acidic glue, and about a dozen with slight wear at folds or along guards, approximately 40 leaves with old marginal patch-repairs, first illuminated initial shaved, dampstaining to 9 leaves, occasional minor finger-soiling or staining, occasional smudging or show-through of color.) 16th-century German pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, blind tooled in concentric panels with rolls of scrolling vines, saints, the virtues, and a heads-in-medallion roll, the initials of Christoph, Baron von Wolkenstein & Rodenegg and date "C.F.Z.W.V.R. [Christoph Freiherr zu Wolkenstein und Rodenegg] MDXCIIII" stamped in silver above and below the central panel on upper cover, the lower cover stamped to match in the 19th century with Robert Curzon's name and the date 1848, original chased brass clasps and catches, edges stained green (small bleach-stain and two small holes to upper cover, very minor worming along spine). Provenance : contemporary marginal note in German on fol. XXVIIv (cropped); the armorial shields on God the Father woodcut (2/1v) left blank, two coats-of-arms, one of them Wolkenstein's, sketched in in later pencil; Christoph, Baron von Wolkenstein & Rodenegg, a descendant (son?) of Michael Freiherr von Wolkenstein, who bought the lordship of Rodenegg from his childless brother Veit shortly before the latter's death, and whose castle, Schloss Liebburg, is now the town hall of Lienz, Austria, binding stamp as above and large letterpress and woodcut bookplate, also dated 1594; Robert Curzon 14th Baron Zouche, binding stamp (sale, Sotheby's, 9 November 1920, lot 128, £22 to Edwards). FIRST EDITION OF THE GERMAN VERSION OF THE NUREMBERG CHRONICLE, FULLY COLORED BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND. Koberger published Georg Alt's German translation of Schedel's world history five months after his Latin edition, using the same woodcuts, with some minor variations in the placement of the smaller cuts. The vivid coloring of this copy is characterized by a somewhat perfunctory application of the colors, applied in a fairly consistent palette, in which a strikingly bright yellow predominates as background for the strip cuts and