Anfang, Ursprung und herkommen des Thurniers in Teutscher nation by RÜXNER, Georg (fl. 1530) - 1532

Simmern: Hieronymus Rodler, 1532. Folio (319 x 216 mm). 220 leaves. Gothic type. Title with large woodcut initial A and arms of Charles V on verso. One folding woodcut plate of a tournament (between fols. 33 and 34), two full-page and 246 smaller coats-of-arms and 39 half-page woodcuts including repeats. Contemporary blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards, stamped with ornamental rolls forming panels which contain figures of the Evangelists and Virtues. Lacking one clasp and catch, remnants of original leather spine panel; marginal tear in final leaf, some pale dampstaining in fore-margins at beginning and end, some intermittent pale staining and spotting. Provenance: Windhagen Library (17th-century inscription on title); Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919, bookplate; sold Christie's 10 December 1917, lot 386); from the Collection of Arthur & Charlotte Vershbow, purchased from William H. Schab, 1959. THE FAIRFAX MURRAY COPY OF THE SECOND EDITION, printed by the same printer and using the same cuts as the 1530 first edition. A magnificently printed and illustrated German woodcut book, describing tournaments and festivities. The 36 tournaments held in different German cities are described in the order of the events: arrival, festivities, tournament, celebration of the victor, departure from the town etc. The coats-of-arms are those of the victors of the tournaments and those of the towns where the tournaments were held. The woodcuts are generally attributed to Master H.H., who illustrated another work for Rodler in 1531 (an adaptation of Dürer's Unterweysung der Messung), and was identified by Bonnemann as Hans von Hunsrück, i.e. Johann II, Count Palatine of Simmern, who financed the publication of Ruxner's book at his private press. The folding plate depicts all stages of a tournament. Not in Adams. BM/STC German 761; Bonnemann, Rodler, 4; Brunet 1471; Fairfax Murray German 373 (this copy). Lipperheide Tb 10.