BRANT, Sebastian

Stultifera navis

      1497. BRANT, Sebastian. Stultifera navis. Strassburg: Johann Gruninger, 1 June 1497. Small quarto, period-style full dark brown calf, raised bands; ff. 109 (of 112). $32,000. Fourth Latin edition of "a most important woodcut book, having a great influence on the art of book illustration! One of the greatest monuments in literary history" (Rosenbach), with a total of 118 woodcut illustrations from 78 blocks. Text and illustrations complete, with three last leaves of index only in fine facsimile. "The Ship of Fools is the most important of a long line of moralizing works in which the weaknesses and vices of mankind are satirized as follies. The tradition goes back to early medieval times both in England and on the Continent! Composed in popular humorous verse and illustrated by a remarkable series of woodcuts! the book was an immediate success. Brant was a humanist-the book is full of classical allusions-but he was undoubtedly conservative in his wish to strengthen the existing order. Nevertheless, there is much criticism and a strong feeling that man, in striving for salvation, deals directly with God and not necessarily with the Church: a foretaste of the movement for reform. Incidentally, the book also contains the first literary reference to the discovery of America [The Columbus Letter had been published in 1493 by the printer of the 1494 German first edition]. The Ship of Fools was the first original work by a German which passed into world literature. Brant's book played an important part in European literature, and helped to blaze the trail that leads from medieval allegory to modern satire, drama and the novel of character" (PMM 37). The Ship of Fools first appeared in German in 1494 and in Latin in 1497. Its immediate popularity resulted in numerous unauthorized editions, of which this is the third in Latin, following the authorized first in Latin by only three months. The Latin version was the basis for the subsequent English, French and Dutch translations. The illustrations copy those used in the German and authorized Latin editions published in Basel, though in a horizontal rather than vertical format and reversing the original images. Y4-6, the last three leaves only, comprising Locher's Ad numeros suos and the register, supplied in neat facsimile on old paper (all original illustrations are present). Goff B-1089. HC 3749. GW 5057. Near-contemporary ink marginalia and underlinings in a neat hand. R1v with red ink marks on initials. Repair to upper corner of O1. A few running titles closely trimmed. Faint dampstain to upper margin, infrequent foxing. Handsome binding fine. A wonderful incunable volume with extraordinary 15-century woodcuts throughout.