Hermann Nitzschewitz
One of the finest German incunables – 150 prayers regarding the Virgin Mary,
Zinna, Press of the Cistercian Monastery, Konrad Kachelofen or Johannes Luce, 1493-1495
A first edition copy of Hermann Nitzschewitz's 'Novum beate marie virginis psalterium', the only book to be printed at Zinna, at the press of the Cistercian Monastery. Impressively, it was printed with an imperial subsidy. This book is regarded as one of the finest incunables; and in its execution with the superseding concept of a book as a 'Gesamtkunstwerk' (synthesis of the arts), it seems almost modern.
Price 175'000,- CHF (VAT not included)
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Woodcut illustration throughout: numerous historiated borders and 169 illustrations (of which 4 full-page). – Ten leaves with early inscriptions above the woodcut, final ten leaves with damp-staining at lower margin. One endleaf made of waste-paper bearing notes on legal disputes in German, probably 15th or early 16th century. – 15th- / 16th-century quarter pigskin over oak boards sewn on two double-cords, manuscript title on upper cover.
216 x 155mm, 116 leaves
The Only Book from the Zinna Press, Printed with Imperial Subsidy
Overview
Written by the Lüneburg town clerk Hermann Nitzschewitz (d. 1503), Emperor's chapelain and apostolic pronotary, this text on the miracles of the New Testament may have been created in response to the perceived Turkish threat in Germany. The text consists of 150 prayers regarding the Virgin Mary, reflecting the fervent Marian devotion of the Cistercian order, as well as being a topical pamphlet against the Turks.
The Novum Psalterium, modelled on French Books of Hours, is one of the most richly illustrated German incunables. With the work of two artists' hands evident, the woodcuts exhibit scenes from the Life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as one large illustration depicting the Emperors Frederick III and Maximilian. This representation is understood to be an homage, expressing gratitude for subsidizing the printing costs. Nitschewitz's Psalterium is thus the first series of books sponsored by Maximilian, Frederick's successor.
