Lincoln AbrahamABAA
Preparing for Death Emblemata - Sterben und Erben Das ist / die schoenste Vorbereitung zum Tode / Oder Sicherste Arth zu sterben und die Seeligkeit zu Erben / Durch Betrachtung des bittern Leydens und Sterbens unsers eintzgen und liebsten heylandes Jesu Christi
1702251118002Amsterdam: George Gallet 1702. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good. De Chertablon. SCARCE EMBLEMATA 1ST EDITION IN GERMAN ON PREPARING FOR DEATH TO REACH HEAVENLY SALVATION THROUGH JESUS <br /> <br /> TRANSLATED TITLE : Dying and inheriting that is the most beautiful preparation for death. Or the surest way to die and inherit salvation by contemplating the bitter suffering and death of our only and dearest Savior Jesus Christ <br /> <br /> Condition: GOOD COMPLETE ORIGINAL <br /> <br /> I see no other copy currently for sale and this title scarcely comes up for auction. Worldcat shows only a handful of copies held by institutions. <br /> <br /> ABOUT THE BOOK <br /> <br /> Published in 1702 by George Gallet in Amsterdam. First edition in German. Text primarily in Gothic. In contemporary full dark brown calf. Covers with blind stamped bordering and five raised spine bands. All edges speckled red. Quarto 10.5" x 8.5". Collated and complete: 22 108 pp. and all 42 copper engraved plates. A few embellished initials and chapter headers. Title page in red and black. Wide-margined thick pages.<br /> <br /> IMPORTANCE<br /> <br /> The book is an emblemata of the German Baroque literature movement of the seventeenth century through early eighteenth century. It is comprised mostly of plates of a man on his deathbed awaiting his fate on the recto of leaves and scripture from the Bible and description of the plate scene on the verso. The engravings by De Chertablon are striking in composition highly detailed and rich with religious and moral symbolism. Only two plates are actual 'Dance of Death' images the others show dynamic scenes surrounding the dying person. The remarkable thing about the depictions is that personified Death does not appear as usual as a skeleton or a mummy but as an angel. He often points to a painting in the background held by putti which depicts scenes from the Life and Passion of Christ. In a few striking scenes the path to salvation appears closed. In one instance the devil presents a list of all the sins the dying man has committed. Unlike the majority of scenes there are no angels pointing the way to salvation. The foreboding description for this scene says that faith and belief are not enough for heavenly salvation: you will be judged by your acts and deeds while on Earth. <br /> <br /> ABOUT THE AUTHOR <br /> <br /> Abraham a Sancta Clara born Johann Ulrich Megerle; 1644 - 1709 was an Augustinian friar. He gained a great reputation for pulpit eloquence early on. He was appointed imperial court preacher of Vienna in 1669. The people flocked to hear him attracted by the force and simplicity of his language the grotesqueness of his humor and the impartial severity with which he lashed the follies of all social classes. <br /> <br /> CONDITION REPORT <br /> <br /> GOOD for a 320-year-old book <br /> <br /> Exterior and binding: Some spine lean and front hinge cracked. Rear hinge starting to crack at its head. Binding and boards holding firm but strained in places. Heavily rubbed and worn leather that is dry and cracking and pitting. Has a beautiful texture of authentic aging. Spine label mostly perished. Multiple pen-tip sized wormholes on covers. <br /> <br /> Interior: Grubby endpapers. Toned pages. Mostly light to scattered foxing on the text block itself; heavier foxing along the gutters at times. Browning and dust along page margins. A single pen-tip sized wormhole throughout the entire text block gradually expanding to more same sized holes toward the last quartile of the book. The final leaf has about 12 pin-tipped sized holes. These holes slightly affect text and images. The plate impressions are strong and are visible on the verso and form an unintended but quite nice bordering of the descriptive text. No writing beyond a few scribbles in red on front pastedown. No marginalia or underlining. A few margin tears. <br /> <br /> All in all a beautifully illustrated scarce work of religious emblemata depicting deathbed scenes and the path to heavenly salvation. George Gallet hardcover
Ironwolf Rare Books · États-Unis1 375,00 $US≈ 1 163,39 €
