1569 - LUFFT LUTHER BIBLE w/ WOODCUTS FROM 1534 EDITION 125 total woodcuts most from Lukas Cranach workshop Start Price USD 5,350.00 Current Price USD 5,350.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, July 06, 2008 End Time Sunday, July 13, 2008 Location Newfane, VT See more about '1569 - LUFFT LUTHER BIBLE w/ WOODCUTS FROM 1534 EDITION' Description A very rare Lufft edition of Luther's translation of the Bible (into the German vernacular) -- containing most of the woodcuts that first appeared in Lufft's epoch making 1534 edition. (Hans Lufft was Luther's chosen printer and publisher.)Erika Michaels describes the woodcut series as "...aesthetically significant Old and New Testament illustrations, ... Although somewhat wanting in psychological expressiveness and a sense of clear, plastic articulation of the figures, this large set of illustrations was unique in its narrative and textural richness, coloristic qualities, 'Danube School' sensibility for animated linework, interest in landscape, spatial expansiveness, and sense of continuity between human beings and their place in nature." (from a Harvard Library Bulletin) Title: Biblia: Das ist die Gantze Heilige Schrifft ... Publishing Information: Wittemberch [Wittenberg]; Hans Luft, 1569 (according to dates of the two present title pages and the colophon) Physical Description: Folio (14 inches x 9.5 inches x 4.5 inches); contemporary blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards with brass protective plates and remnants of latches; [Old Testament title-page is missing],[5 introductory leaves],1-305 -- Old Testament,[blank, title-page for Prophets (and Apocrypha), with engraving],2-217,[blank, title-page for New Testament, with engraving on recto and and half-page engraving of Christ on verso],2-37[gap in numbering but no missing leaf],39-66[gap in numbering but no missling leaf],68-73,[an extra leaf, 37, according to numbering, but this is due to misnumbering],74-149,[blank,colophon with 1/3 page woodcut of the Lord and Jesus],[97 leaves of notes ending at R3] -- so missing Old Testament title-page and missing last two leaves of notes at the end; Condition: External condition: vellum is worn, cracked, and detaching; the wood under the vellum of the back cover is split through, so the rear cover is holding by the vellum (please see the last images below) -- Externally: Poor though still handsome; Internal condition: missing the three leaves described above; missing front free end-papers and writing on the front pastedown; 16th C ink writing on loose free-end-paper and pastedowns; the first 10 or so leaves have tattered edges, and loose quires which problems decrease and disappear; there is water-staining throughout, mostly faint at the top and bottom margins touching into text and into images at times; perhaps 300 leaves (including nearly the whole New Testament) has browning (probably from foxing) which becomes unpleasant at times; there are a few minor marginal tears not affecting text; occasional spots -- Internally Overall: Fair Plus to Good Minus (excluding the first 10 leaves); condition of Engravings: generally Good to Very Good impressions but perhaps 25% with spots of uneven inking; perhpas 35% have more browning than I would like, though it is age-typical; there are occasional spots -- Engravings: Good Minus to Good (due to the flaws).OVERALL condition: the condition has to be given as no more than fair due to the flaws, however this overlooks the very good qualities as well as the fact that many of the old Luther Bibles had significant internal problems due to the paper used (for example, ours does not compare too unfavorably internally to the condition of the famous hand-colored edition that has appeared in facsimile from Taschen Press. Engravings: Large initial woodcut letters with mythological motifs at beginning of each book and smaller initials for each chapter (florals, mythological images, and, in the New Testament, sometimes portraits); 125 in text woodcut engravings (3 being repeats), one of which is the famous Daniel map. All but that of Joshua are 5.75 inches x 4.25 inches. The Joshua engraving is larger. There are also the two colophon cuts and the large cut of Jesus on the verso of the New Testament title-page. The evangelist Mark is shown wearing spectacles. Three of the cuts are signed in the plate with the monogram "HB" which stands for Hans Brosamer. Two with crosses (=IT) and one with a key seem to be by Johann Teufel. (Schmidt 274) Discussion: This is an edition of Luther's historically important Bible of 1534 also published by Hans Lufft in Wittenberg. This first edition sold out and others followed from Lufft in which the typeface was changed, woodcuts were added (for example an engraving of Eden) and others were left out, and new title pages were used. I am not knowledgable about any of the textual changes that might have occurred, but Lufft's editions showed at least the changes I just mentioned. Our edition is an extremely rare edition with only two copies noted (both in the British Museum) and no copies but this having been presented for auction in the last thirty years. Comparing it, woodcut by woodcut with a facsimile of the 1534 edition from Taschen, we note the following: our edition has 9 additional woodcuts; 9 woodcuts in the 1534 editions have been omitted from our edition; and 10 of the original woodcuts have been replaced in our edition with woodcuts of the same subjects (we can only speculate as to the reason). The artist for the 1534 cuts are attributed to Lukas Cranach (by Schmidt and others) or, at least, to his school or collaborators (the Master MS). A corrector in Hans Lufft's workshop wrote: "Luther partly determined the illustrations in the Wittenberg Biblia himself, how they should be sketched or painted, and ordered to sketch and copy the text in the simplest manner, and would not tolerate that a superfluous and unnecessary thing he added, that would not serve the text." (Fussel, p43)Some of the 18 woodcuts that appear in our version and not in the original have monograms such as HB (Hans Brosamer), a cross, a key, (both Johann Teufel), XC (also Teufel), and CF or CE. Two of the cuts are dated in the cut as 1553(?) and 1537(?).Issues with Digital Images: all of the images below distort the original color, tone, brightness, and subtlety of detail Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Place a Bid!