MONOGRAMMIST IK (ACTIVE 1536 - CIRCA 1545)
Four Standard-Bearers, from: Wappen des heyligen Römischen Reichs Teutscher Nation
four woodcuts on two sheets, recto and verso, with extensive handcolouring, heightened with gold
circa 1544-45
on laid paper, one with watermark Bear (similar to Briquet 12274 or 12279), the other without watermark
fine, strong and clear impressions
one leaf with titles Mastricht. and Liechtennaw. in letterpress text recto and verso, the other without locations
printed and published by Cyriacus Jacob, Frankfurt am Main, 1545
with margins
some staining and foxing in the margins, generally in good condition, the colours fresh
Blocks 219 x 143 mm. (and similar)
Sheets 292 x 179 mm. (and similar)

Karl & Faber, Munich, 18-21 October 1965, lot 84.
Acquired at the above sale; then by descent to the present owners.

Nagler III.2682; Bartsch IX.157

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Lot Essay

The Wappenbuch by Cyriacus Jacob was based on the reports of the scholar, administrator, printer and publisher Jacob Köbel (1462-1533) of the imperial elections held on 5 January 1531 in Cologne, to predetermine the successor to Charles V. His younger brother Ferdinand was elected, but Charles would reign for another 25 years. He abdicated in 1556, but it took another two years for his abdication to be formalised and for Ferdinand to be crowned in Frankfurt in 1558, the year of Charles's death. The book, which served to record the many delegations from all corners of the Habsburg Empire, was first published in 1532 and includes 144 woodcuts of standard bearers. The standards only show the main emblem, not the entire coat-of-arms, of 37 duchies and 83 towns. Some arms were either not recognised by Köbel or remained unknown to the printer Jacob, for 24 standard bearers are not associated with any specific place, including the two untitled woodcuts on the second sheet offered here.