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BRANT, Sebastian (1457-1521). Stultifera navis. Translated from German into Latin by Jacobus Locher Philomusus (1471-1528), in collaboration with the author, with additional material by Thomas Beccadelli and woodcut illustrations by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). Basel: Johann Bergmann, de Olpe, 1 August 1497.
The first enlarged Latin edition of Das Narrenschiff. The ‘Ship of Fools’ was 'the most important of a long line of moralizing works in which the weaknesses and vices of mankind are satirized as follies' (PMM 37). Brant populated a ship bound for the fools' paradise of Narragonia with 100 fools representing all positions and levels of society, including his own occupation as a writer – his opening chapter is 'on the uselessness of books'. The fine woodcut illustrations are those commissioned for the first edition (in German) of 1494, also printed by Bergmann at Basel, at least 70 of which are now attributed to Durer. Bergmann was also responsible for the first Latin edition, which appeared in March 1497. HC *3750; GW 5061; Bod-inc B-512; BSB-Ink B-820; ISTC ib01090000; Goff B-1090.
Chancery quarto (199 x 140mm). 159 leaves (of 160, lacking the final blank), 117 woodcuts, many by Dürer, woodcut printer’s device (gently washed, occasional marginal waterstaining and associated repairs, a couple of headlines just shaved, one tear into text). 19th-century green blindstamped morocco, titled in gilt, all edges gilt (neatly rebacked preserving spine). Provenance: erased marginal annotation – Shadworth H. Hodgson (1832-1912; bookplate) – Rugby School (library label recording Hodgson bequest).
The first enlarged Latin edition of Das Narrenschiff. The ‘Ship of Fools’ was 'the most important of a long line of moralizing works in which the weaknesses and vices of mankind are satirized as follies' (PMM 37). Brant populated a ship bound for the fools' paradise of Narragonia with 100 fools representing all positions and levels of society, including his own occupation as a writer – his opening chapter is 'on the uselessness of books'. The fine woodcut illustrations are those commissioned for the first edition (in German) of 1494, also printed by Bergmann at Basel, at least 70 of which are now attributed to Durer. Bergmann was also responsible for the first Latin edition, which appeared in March 1497. HC *3750; GW 5061; Bod-inc B-512; BSB-Ink B-820; ISTC ib01090000; Goff B-1090.
Chancery quarto (199 x 140mm). 159 leaves (of 160, lacking the final blank), 117 woodcuts, many by Dürer, woodcut printer’s device (gently washed, occasional marginal waterstaining and associated repairs, a couple of headlines just shaved, one tear into text). 19th-century green blindstamped morocco, titled in gilt, all edges gilt (neatly rebacked preserving spine). Provenance: erased marginal annotation – Shadworth H. Hodgson (1832-1912; bookplate) – Rugby School (library label recording Hodgson bequest).
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