1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Original Leaf – Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger – Kings & Scholars Woodcuts
$160.00
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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).
Schönsperger’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.
This 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.
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📜 Details
Date: 1496
Printer: Johann Schönsperger, Augsburg (Germany)
Work: Nuremberg Chronicle / Liber Chronicarum
Material: Hand-laid rag paper printed in Gothic type with original woodcuts
Content: Portraits of rulers and scholars accompanied by historical text
Size: Approx. 27 × 18.5 cm (≈ 10.6 × 7.3 in.)
Condition: 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.
Provenance: From a disbound, incomplete copy purchased at auction. No complete book was harmed — this leaf survives from a long-separated fragment.
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🖼️ Framing Available
Each leaf can be professionally framed with archival, acid-free matting and UV-filtering acrylic, ready for museum-quality preservation or elegant home display.
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✨ Historical Context
The 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.
Schönsperger’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.
Though 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.
1496 Nuremberg Chronicle Original Leaf – Augsburg “Pirated” Edition by Johann Schönsperger – Kings & Scholars Woodcuts
$160.00