AUTHOR: PRINTED BY ANTON KOBERGER

LANGUAGE: MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN

DATE: 1483

PAGE #: 1197

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS:11.75 X 7.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: AFTER THE MENTELIN BIBLE DATED TO 1466, THE KOBERGER BIBLE OF 1483 IS THE NINTH GERMAN-LANGUAGE VERSION OF THE BIBLE TO HAVE BEEN PRINTED AND THE SECOND TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN NUREMBERG, AFTER THE SENSENSCHMIDT BIBLE OF CIRCA 1476‒78. FOR THE RICH DECORATION OF HIS EDITION, ANTON KOBERGER (CIRCA 1440‒1513) USED THE WOODCUTS MADE FOR THE BIBLE PRINTED IN COLOGNE BY BARTHOLOMAEUS OF UNCKEL IN 1478‒79, WHICH HE HIMSELF HAD HELPED TO FINANCE. THE FIRST WOODCUT, PRECEDING THE BOOK OF GENESIS, DEPICTS THE CREATION OF EVE IN PARADISE AND ALMOST FILLS AN ENTIRE PAGE. UNLIKE GÜNTHER ZAINER, WHO HAD ALREADY USED WOODCUT HISTORIATED INITIALS IN HIS BIBLE OF 1475‒76, KOBERGER ALLOWED FOR PAINTED INITIALS TO BE SUPPLIED BY A RUBRICATOR OR ILLUMINATOR. LIKE OTHER COPIES OF THIS EDITION, THE ONE SHOWN HERE WAS RICHLY ILLUMINATED WITH TEMPERA COLORS AND PUNCHED-GOLD GROUNDS AS WELL AS MORE THAN 70 INITIAL LETTERS WITH TEMPERA, GOLD OR SILVER, AND ACANTHUS-LEAF DECORATIONS TO MARK THE BEGINNING OF EACH BIBLICAL BOOK AND THE APOSTOLIC LETTERS. THE INITIALS AT THE BEGINNING OF GENESIS AND PROVERBS ARE PARTICULARLY LAVISHLY DECORATED, WITH BUSTS OF THE PROPHETS, ANGELS BEARING EMPTY CRESTS AND ANIMALS INTEGRATED IN THE FOLIATE EXTENSIONS. THE PAINTER WAS TRAINED IN THE SCHOOL OF JOHANN BÄMLER IN AUGSBURG (CIRCA 1435–CIRCA 1503). MINIATURES CLOSELY RESEMBLING THOSE IN THE KOBERGER BIBLE ARE CONTAINED IN A MANUSCRIPT MISSAL DATED TO 1490 AT THE AUSTRIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY IN VIENNA. WHETHER THE ILLUMINATOR WORKED IN AUGSBURG OR IN NUREMBERG CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED AFTER A MORE EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE DECORATION OF INCUNABULA PRINTED BY KOBERGER. AT THE LEAST, IT SEEMS THAT THE COPY IN THE WÜRTTEMBERGISCHE LANDESBIBLIOTHEK IN STUTTGART WAS COLORED AND ILLUMINATED BY A DIFFERENT PAINTER, WHO VERY LIKELY WORKED FOR KOBERGER IN NUREMBERG.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.