Folium LIIII from the Nuremberg Chronicle.

• Price: $125.00
  

  SKU: 102315

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• ARTIST:

• PUBLISHER: Published by Anton Koberger, Nuremberg.

• MEDIUM: Letterpress and woodcut.

  DATE: c. 1500

• EDITION SIZE: Paper size 11 5/8 x 17 1/2" ( 29.2 x 44.6 cm)

• DESCRIPTION: This leaf, Folium LIII (recto) from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493), is part of one of the most ambitious and influential illustrated books of the 15th century. Compiled by Hartmann Schedel and printed by Anton Koberger, the Chronicle presents a sweeping history of the world, interweaving religious narratives, biblical events, historical figures, and medieval conceptions of geography and knowledge. Published in both Latin and German editions, it features hundreds of woodcut illustrations by Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, with possible contributions from a young Albrecht Dürer. <br><br> This particular leaf recounts the fall of the Assyrian Empire and the rise of the Median and Macedonian kingdoms. It details how Arbaces, a satrap of Sardanapalus, led a rebellion against the effeminate and decadent Assyrian king, ultimately bringing about his fiery demise and ending an empire that had lasted over 1,300 years. The text then follows the founding of the Median Empire and its eventual absorption into Persia under Cyrus the Great. It also chronicles the origins of Macedonia, tracing its early rulers, including Caranus, and describing how the kingdom expanded through conquest. Illustrations on this page include crowns, orbs, and scepters, symbolizing royal authority and serving as decorative dividers, emphasizing the text’s focus on the shifting powers of ancient civilizations.

• ADDITIONAL INFO: This piece is in an 13.5 x 19 inch archival mylar for handling.

• CONDITION: Good condition.

• REFERENCE:

• CATEGORIES: 18th-19th Century Subjects