1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger

1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger

$160.00
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1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger
  • 1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger
  • 1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger
  • 1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger
  • 1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger
1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger

1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Leaf – Monastic Orders & Papal Portraits – Rare Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger

$160.00
A remarkable and scarce original 1496 leaf from the Nuremberg Chronicle (Das Buch der Chroniken / Liber Chronicarum), printed not in Nuremberg but in Augsburg by Johann Schönsperger ( c. 1455 – 1521 ). Schönsperger’s Augsburg editions of 1496, 1497, and 1500 were unauthorized reprints of Anton Koberger’s monumental 1493 Chronicle—produced in smaller format to reach a wider audience. Ironically, these “pirated” Augsburg issues are far rarer today than Koberger’s official Nuremberg printing. This authentic 15th-century incunable (printed before 1501) measures roughly 11 × 8 inches and features: Two detailed architectural woodcuts on one side, depicting monastic orders and their buildings—among them the Celestines and Cistercians. The reverse side with portraits of Popes Boniface VIII and Nicholas IV, framed by crisp Gothic black-letter text in two columns. --- 📜 Details Date: 1496 Printer: Johann Schönsperger, Augsburg (Germany) Language: Early German (Fraktur / Gothic type) Dimensions: Approx. 11 × 8 in (28 × 20 cm) Paper: Hand-laid rag paper Condition: Gently toned with minor archival repair at lower margin and light edge wear; faint watermark visible near bottom edge. Strong, well-defined impressions throughout. Provenance: From a disbound incomplete copy acquired at auction — no complete book was destroyed to offer this leaf. Markings: Discreet pencil catalog notation from a previous collection. 🖼️ Framing Available Each leaf can be professionally framed with archival, acid-free matting and UV-protective acrylic, ready for museum-quality display or elegant home presentation. --- ✨ Historical Context The Nuremberg Chronicle is one of the most ambitious illustrated books of the 15th century—a sweeping history of the world from Creation to the Renaissance. Schönsperger’s Augsburg edition adapted the lavish woodcuts originally designed in the workshop of Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, the masters under whom Albrecht Dürer trained in Nuremberg. Though technically a “pirated” edition, these Augsburg impressions are treasured today for their historical significance and comparative scarcity. Each leaf embodies the spirit of invention and devotion that defined Europe at the dawn of print.

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