Beham, Hans Sebald (Nürnberg 1500 - Frankfurt a.M. 1550).

Coat of arms of Hartmann Maurus.

      Germany, ca. 1522. Magnificent woodcut; The escutcheon depicts the head of a moor with head-band, the crest of the helm consists of the bust of a moor between the antlers of a deer. Above 2 lines of text: "Insignia Hartmanni Maurill. Doctoris, Caesarei iudicii adsessoris" and underneath: "Virtus clara aeternaq. habetur". Border of the woodcut: 13,1 x 11,2 cm on leaf of 22 x 14 cm.*Hollstein III, 282. Pauli app. 1354a. Warnecke, Heraldische Kunstblätter, III, 209. Passavant III, 221 No. 321 (Dürer). Geisberg, No. 314, ill. p. 294. Very rare, only state of this beautiful armorial plate, which was formerly ascribed by Heller No. 2145 and others to Dürer. Possibly this plate was also used as ex-libris. "There can be no doubt, that many of the plates published in the . 'Heraldische Kunstblätter' have been used as Ex-libris; with most of them this is evident at first sight" (Warnecke, Rare Book-plates, London 1894, page 2). "Early German bookplates are principally armorial in subject. The use of armorial bookplates was a natural consequence of a way of life in which heraldry played such an important function" (Johnson, A treasury of bookplates, page 4). Hartmann Maurus (Moer), counsellor of the elector of Cologne, professor of law and imperial court assessor, was the author of an important eye-witness account of the coronation of Charles V at Aachen in October 1520. - Fine impression on laid paper, with ample margins, very well preserved.[(5559)]