Two magnificent dated Bindings by Jakob Krause, the most important German bookbinder of the Renaissance, for Hans Harrer and his wife on a Bible adorned with delicately coloured Woodcuts
BIBLIA GERMANICA. Biblia, Das ist: Die gantze heilige Schrifft Deudsch. D. Mart. Luth. 2 volumes.
Wittenberg, [Hans Krafft], 1572
Two titles in four-sided woodcut borders, portrait of August Elector of Saxony, full-page woodcut of Creation by Hans Brosamer, 218 large woodcuts in text, the majority monogrammed "I.T.' (=Joh.Teufel?), coloured by a contemporary hand throughout and partially heightened with gold, numerous large woodcut initials coloured by a contemporary hand.
20 unnumbered leaves, 413 leaves; 470 leaves= 903 leaves, complete (except final blank in vol. I).
Large folio (395 x 265 mm).
Contemporary German brown calf gilt, by Jakob Krause, dated 1574. Coat of arms of Hans Harrer, with inscription "Hans Harr. Churfürstlicher Sachsischer Cammer Meister" on front cover of volumes, back cover with arms of his wife, covers decorated with a total of 16 roll-tools, panels and single tools all identified as Krause's, edges gilt and tooled "au pointillé", first volume with painted multicoloured coat of arms of Harrer on fore-edge, second volume with corresponding arms of his wife, spine with 5 double raised bands rebacked in original style, corners expertly repaired, endpapers restored with old materials.
Height of bindings: ca. 412 mm, width ca. 285 mm. Front cover of first volume with lettering "Biblia" and date "1574 ", second volume "Die Propheten" and corresponding date.
The most luxurious and most important Krause bindings
ever to appear on the market
Krause was bookbinder to the electors of Saxony, and bindings of comparable splendor were executed by him only on behalf of the electors and have therefore found their way to the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden, where they are still held (except those carried away to the east in the aftermath of World War II). Only for Hans Harrer, "Hofkämmerer" (= Minister of Finance) to the electors, Krause bound three volumes in the most elaborated decoration that he had designed for the court, the two described here and another, much smaller one, dated 1573.
The book that Harrer and his wife Barbara choose for the magnificent bindings was a most prestigious book, too: the large Wittenberg Bible printed by Hans Krafft, with more than 220 woodcuts, which had been coloured throughout in so called "Fürstenkolorit", a rich variety of colours sometimes heightened with gold.
These two bindings are probably the largest Krause bindings in existence. Their height of 412 mm exceeds by far the largest binding mentioned by Schmidt, which measures 365 mm only (Schmidt, Krause, pl. 28). The leaves show some traces of humidity, therefore some offsetting of the colours of many of the cuts and some foxing and browning throughout. Minor restored tears, titlepage and final leaves mounted with minor defects and loss of letters. The books are nevertheless in very good condition, especially the splendid bindings, as the magnificent decoration of the covers has not been affected. This is by far the finest of Krause's achievements that has ever been offered and maybe the last of his most elaborate bindings still in private hands.
Provenance: Hans Harrer and Barbara Harrer, 1574. – In the first volume, an entry on page [20], next to the woodcut of the creation: ‘Im 14 July 1698 mit Gott angefangen die biblia durchzulesen’ (On 14 July 1698 began to read the Bible with God). – From a European noble Library . – European private collection.
Literature: BM STC German 90; Darlow/Moule II, p. 496 (note); Delaveau/Hillard, no. 134; Panzer, Entwurf, p. 455ff., no. 1; Reinitzer, no. 158 and ill. 169; Schmidt, Illustration, p. 274ff. (very detailed); Strohm E 483 and E 484 (the latter coloured but incomplete); VD 16 B 2778; Volz 1954, pp. 158, 37. – On Krause: Berling; Rabenau 1994; (authoritative, with 102 colour plates); Schmidt, Einbände (does not know our bindings); Schmidt, Jakob Krause, passim; Schunke 1943. – On Harrer: ADB 50, 19ff.; Foot I, 281-296, and II, no. 344; NDB 7, 702.
These bindings have been described in great detail in our catalogue 90 “Wunderkammer”, lot 92. Click here to view the eCatalogue or order the printed version in our Online Shop.
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