Schedel, Hartmann

LIBER CHRONICARUM Leaf CCLVIII

      Nuremberg: Anton Koberger for Sebaldi Schreyer and Sebastiani Kamermaister, 1493. Very desirable leaf from the first Latin edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle. This is the leaf numbered CCLVIII. On verso side of the leaf are the date of 1493 and the large initials of H A S D for Hartmann Schedel, the creator of this classic incunabula book. This page ended the sixth section of the Chronicle, which was completed in June of 1493. The date 1493 is written out in Latin on the page as "Anno ab incarnatione salvatoris xpi Millesimo quadringentesimo nonagesimo tercio." An unusual opportunity for the collector of these Nuremberg leaves to obtain a dated page from the Chronicle. Underneath the highly stylized initials for Schedel that follow the date is printed the statement that the following three pages are to be left blank, which was indeed the case with the first edition. The final seventh section and the final colophon dated in July of 1493 were then added to complete the work. This preliminary colophon page of June, 1493 is in nice collector condition. Left edge of page archivally reinforced. Very short closed tear in upper blank margin not affecting anything. A bit of old soiling affecting a few letters of recto side. Verso quite clean with just some old light brownish age stains at bottom blank margin (mostly). The age stains not unsightly and they are not foxing. At upper left of recto of leaf, under the page number, is an illustration portrait of Maximilian I standing, holding cruficer and short staff. A handsome rendition of this great Holy Roman Emperor, which was decided on as a last minute addition to the Chronicle. It is estimated that perhaps three to four hundred copies of the Nuremberg Chronicle remain in existence in the first Latin edition of 1493. Many are safely tucked away in institutions and are of course complete volumes. Other complete or mostly complete volumes can be found here and there in the marketplace, highly priced. Some volumes have been broken up over time and the leafs sold individually. Since there are close to 300 leaves in the entire work, many leaves are available in the marketplace (although that may not always be the case). But obviously it can be quite a challenge to find one particular leaf at any given time, such as this very important dated leaf with the initials of Schedel. In other words, this is a scarce example of one of the more desirable leaves in the Chronicle.. First Edition. Disbound Leaf. Very Good. 16 3/4" By 11 3/4". "Liber Chronicarum, Nuremberg Chronicle, Hartmann Schedel, Colophon, 1493".