Yale Center for British Art

Title:

Das bůch der Natürlichen weiszheit.

Alternate Title(s):

Buch der natürlichen Weisheit

Published / Created:

[Augsburg] : [Anton Sorg], [25 May 1490]

Physical Description:

cxxxiii, [5] leaves (leaf [Cxxxiiii] blank) : illustrations ; 28 cm (fol.)

Holdings:

Rare Books and Manuscripts
Leaf Collection no. 0580
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

Copyright Status:

Classification:

Books

Notes:

The author is often wrongly identified as Saint Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, Saint Cyril, Apostle to the Slavs, or to a Cyril de Quidenon.

Also attributed to Boniohannes de Messana. Cf. T. Kaeppeli, Scriptores ordinis praedicatorum medii aevi, I, 699.

Translated by Ulrich von Pottenstein.

Colophon (leaf r5v): ... Getrucket vnd vollendet in der Keÿserlichen statt Augspurg von Anthonio Sorg. An santt Vrbans tage. Nach der menschwerdunge Cristi Ihesu In dem M. CCCC. vnd LXXXX. Iar.

Signatures: a-q⁸ r⁶ s⁴ (r6 blank).

Full-page woodcut on a1v, 67 smaller woodcuts in text (some repeated), 5- and 10-line Maiblumen initials.

Text in double columns, 36 lines per column.

Leaves Cxiii-Cxxxiii (p1r-r5v) contain German translations of 3 tracts by Albertanus Brixiensis: De arte loquendi et tacendi, Liber consolationis et consilii (abridged), and De amore et dilectione dei et proximi; cf. BSB-Ink.

Proctor, 1715

BSB-Ink, B-745

Walsh, J.E. 15th cent. printed books, 583

Incunabula short title catalogue, ic01023000

Goff, F.R. Incunabula in American libraries, C-1023

Copinger, W.A. Supplement to Hain's Repertorium bibliographicum, 4047*

Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke, 7896

Catalogue of books printed in the XVth century now in the British Museum, II, 355 (IB. 6043)

Schreiber, W.L. Manuel de l'amateur de la gravure sur bois et sur métal au XVe siècle, 3650

BAC Leaf Collection no. 0580: Imperfect: 12 leaves only, nos. 7, 18, 32, 46, 47, 49, 53, 71, 94, 96, 98, and 137. All but the last leaf leaf include hand-colored woodcut illustrations. From a collection of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century printed leaves compiled by Frederick Werther, with his enumeration stamped in ink.

Subject Terms:

Form/Genre:

Incunabula. | Woodcuts. | Fragments (object portions) | Hand coloring.

Contributors:

Bonjohannes, de Messana, active 14th century. | Cyril, Saint, Bishop of Jerusalem, approximately 315–386. | Cyrillus, de Quidenon, active 13th century. | Cyril, Saint, Apostle of the Slavs, approximately 827–869. | Ulrich, von Pottenstein, active 1398–1416. | Sorg, Anton, active 15th century, printer. | Albertano, da Brescia, active 13th century. Liber de doctrina dicendi et tacendi. German. | Albertano, da Brescia, active 13th century. Liber consolationis et consilii. German. | Albertano, da Brescia, active 13th century. De amore et dilectione Dei et proximi et aliarum rerum et de forma vite. German.