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Stultifera navis

Lot 15
28.01.2025 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
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CHRISTIE'S
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
ID 1360731
Lot 15 | Stultifera navis
Estimate value
$ 10 000 – 15 000
BRANT, Sebastian (1457–1521). Das Narrenschiff, in Latin: Stultifera navis. Translated from German by Jacobus Locher Philomusus. – JACOBUS LOCHER PHILOMUSUS (1471–1528). Carmina varia. Basel: Johann Bergmann, de Olpe, 1 March 1497.

First Latin edition of The Ship of Fools, with early reference to Columbus and the New World. ‘The first original work by a German which passed into world literature, and helped to blaze the trail that leads from medieval allegory to modern satire, drama and novel of character’ (PMM). The Basel humanist Sebastian Brant describes the sea journey of 112 individuals representing the follies of human weakness and vice to ‘Naragonia’ the paradise of fools. For the 1494 first edition (in German) also by Bergmann at Basel, fine woodcut illustrations were commissioned, 75 of which are after Albrecht Dürer who resided in Basel for a few months in 1494. The fools in the Dürer woodcuts are recognized by the bells on their caps. 15 other illustrations are attributed to the Master of Haintz Narr. His fools wear coxcombs instead of bells. ‘The woodcut illustrations created for Das Narrenschiff are of immense density and tenseness. Since there was no iconographical tradition for this newly conceived text, the subjects and scenes of the illustrations had to be created entirely new. The images presented are of such convincing force that their equal in design had never before been seen’ (A Heavenly Craft, p. 63). The Ship of Fools is the first literary work to announce the discovery of the New World, which is not surprising, since it was Bergmann who published the first German edition of the 1493 Columbus letter announcing his discovery of the New World. HC 3746 = [not H]C(Add) 3747; BMC III 795; BSB-Ink B-817; Bod-inc B-506; CIBN B-758; GW 5054; Goff B-1086; Schreiber 3567; ISTC ib01086000.

Chancery quarto (202 × 145mm). 148 leaves. 117 large woodcut illustrations printed from 112 blocks, of which 3 are full-page, cut by various artists with at least 75 after Albrecht Dürer, most woodcuts with partial woodcut borders, woodcut printer’s device (lower margin of title-page renewed, foliation shaved on some leaves and a little early marginalia also shaved, h5–6 with small stains in woodcuts, woodcut on i6 with censorship mark, r2 rubricated and likely supplied). Contemporary blindstamped pigskin (remboitage, clasps lacking, title re-hinged). Provenance: early marginalia (trimmed) – Jacob Pfeffinger (contemporary ownership inscription on bibliophile page, ‘Lector huius Jacobus Pfeffinger, Basel’ – O’Sullivan (‘Modesta Victrix’ bookplate) – Paul Harth (leather booklabel; his sale, Paris, 20 November 1985).
Place of origin:Switzerland
Auction house category:Antiquarian books, Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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