{"product_id":"1496-nuremberg-chronicle-original-leaf-augsburg-pirated-edition-by-johann-schonsperger-kings-scholars-woodcuts","title":"1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Original Leaf – Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger – Kings \u0026 Scholars Woodcuts","description":"This is an original incunable leaf from the celebrated Nuremberg Chronicle (Das Buch der Chroniken \/ Liber Chronicarum), printed in 1496 in Augsburg, Germany by Johann Schönsperger (c. 1455–1521).\nSchönsperger’s Augsburg printings of 1496, 1497 and 1500 were unauthorized re-editions of Anton Koberger’s 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle—smaller, more affordable versions intended for a wider audience. Ironically, these “pirated” Augsburg issues are far scarcer today than Koberger’s official Nuremberg printing, making each surviving leaf a true rarity of early printing history.\n\nThis double-sided page from the Sixth Age of the World features woodcut portraits of crowned kings, clerics, and scholars, surrounded by dense Gothic black-letter text in early German. It remains a vivid example of Renaissance craftsmanship at the dawn of print culture.\n\n\n---\n\n📜 Details\n\nDate: 1496\n\nPrinter: Johann Schönsperger, Augsburg (Germany)\n\nWork: Nuremberg Chronicle \/ Liber Chronicarum\n\nMaterial: Hand-laid rag paper printed in Gothic type with original woodcuts\n\nContent: Portraits of rulers and scholars accompanied by historical text\n\nSize: Approx. 27 × 18.5 cm (≈ 10.6 × 7.3 in.)\n\nCondition: As shown in photos. Expected toning and light water staining along outer margin; small pencil marks in margin. The print remains bold and woodcuts crisp. Some leaves from this collection may include marginalia or later pencil notes; please inspect photos closely — sold as is.\n\nProvenance: From a disbound, incomplete copy purchased at auction. No complete book was harmed — this leaf survives from a long-separated fragment.\n\n\n\n---\n\n🖼️ Framing Available\nEach leaf can be professionally framed with archival, acid-free matting and UV-filtering acrylic, ready for museum-quality preservation or elegant home display.\n\n\n---\n\n✨ Historical Context\nThe Nuremberg Chronicle is among the most ambitious illustrated books of the fifteenth century — a universal history of the world from Creation to the author’s own era.\nSchönsperger’s Augsburg edition reused and re-engraved many of the woodcuts designed in the workshop of Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, the masters under whom Albrecht Dürer trained in Nuremberg.\nThough technically a “pirated” printing, the Augsburg issues are treasured today for their rarity and for spreading Renaissance imagery beyond Germany’s major presses. Each page captures the artistry, devotion, and ingenuity of Europe’s first printers.","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52264027521244,"sku":null,"price":160.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0849\/4759\/9580\/files\/69d2df91-il_fullxfull.7289930651_37ep.jpg?v=1786496787","url":"https:\/\/thekeenantiquarian.com\/products\/1496-nuremberg-chronicle-original-leaf-augsburg-pirated-edition-by-johann-schonsperger-kings-scholars-woodcuts","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}