ostracon ancient art
catalogue

Woodcut with Circe and Odysseus, Schoenberger edition 1497

The main woodcut shows the enchantress Circe in front of Odysseus and one of his crew members changed into a swine. Circe holds a beaker, which stands for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs.

The woodcut below depicts Samson with remains of the Philistine temple. Further vignettes show the descendants of Eli, and depictions of four Jewish judges. The verso with five priests of the House of Eli.

Beautiful late Gothic style.

Woodcut leaf extracted from the small Latin edition of the Liber Chronicorum, printed and edited by Johannes Schoenberger in 1497. This scaled down reprint from Augsburg contributed to the failure of Hartmann Schedel's outsized Nuremburg Chronicle.

Page with text and illustrations entitled "Tertia etas mundi" and "Folium xliii". Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff are credited as the woodblock cutters.

Laid paper, woodcuts

27 cm (10.6 in), 17.8 cm (7 in)

Augsburg, Schoenberger edition, 1497 AD

Clear print on high quality laid paper. Large watermark: Circle, cross and star. The circle with transversal and longitudinal stroke.
Close in shape and size to ref. no. AT3800-PO-160837 in Piccard’s watermark database. Leaf with tear and small hole.

320 USD
 

Literature: Gerhard Piccard. Piccard Wasserzeichen, Veröffentlichungen der Staatlichen Archivverwaltung Baden-Württemberg. Sonderreihe: Die Wasserzeichenkartei Piccard im Hauptstaatsarchiv Stuttgart, 17 Findbücher in 25 Bänden, 1961-1997.