Sebastian Brant (1457-1521) - German author of the humanism
Stultifera navis (Ship of fools), latin edition
Translated in Latin by Jacobus Locher Philomusus (1471-1528)
Wrongly designated to 'Bergmann from Olpe, Basel, 1497'
Pirated copy of Georg Stuchs, Nuremberg, 1497
Complete edition with 148 sheets as well as one title woodcut and furthermore 116 woodcuts depicting fools szenes within text
Embossed high quality leather cover with four raised bands and gold embossed spine title, gilt edge
Bound and signatured by Leon Gruel (1840) - French bookbinder
Endpaper with ex libris; some faded handwritten notes
Measurings: 14.5 x 10 x 2 cm
Very rare pirated copy of the famous late middle age moral satire which describes the shipping of 112 fools to the fictive destination 'Narragonia'; it enjoyably tells about their vices and foibles effecting to hold a mirror up to the reader in a critical and satire way 

The ship of fools of Sebastian Brant was first printed in German language in 1494 by Johann Bergmann von Olpe in Basel. The work is regarded as the most successful German-language book of pre-Reformation. The late medieval morality satire illustrates the contemporary world with all its vices and peculiarities. The groundbreaking success of this popular literature moved both legitimate published parallel editions, and "pirated" by itself.

The woodcuts of the present exemplar by Georg Fuchs are not originated by the young Albrecht Dürer like the other editions but have been especially produced for the pirated copies by an anonymus artist. They are a quite interesting alternative to the well known original woodcuts. Worldwide are only 31 exemplares of the "ship of fools" preseved in libraries, the most of them incomplete, among them also 4 entire books in German libraries. 

Condition:

The book is in very good, age-related condition. The cover is minimally rubbed to the edges and the paper is slightly discolored consitent with age. A few sheet rims have been restored by a specialist respectively show minor loss of material. 3 sheets in facsimile

Sebastian Brant (1457-1521)

Sebastian Brant was a German lawyer, professor of law at the University of Basel (1489-1500) and from 1502 to his death in 1521 City Counsel and Registrar of the free imperial city of Strasbourg. He was also one of the most prolific writers of Latin devotional poetry. His first published in 1494 in German Narrenschiff established his fame as a writer of German humanism. (kre)

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.