Technologie

Folio. Engr., folding frontispiece, t. p., (2), 378 [but: 380], 108, (20) pp. With 10 folding plates, woodcut arms on title-page, and numerous ornamental woodcut initials ins vignettes. Contemporary calf, dated 1681, with giltstamped spine title. Only edition of this elaborate fête book, depicting the funeral festivities and sermon for the popular Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. 1601, d. 26 March 1675). "One of the great memorial volumes of the Baroque" (Jantz). The frontispiece (dated 1678), showing the bust of Duke Ernest, is signed by Jacob von Sandrart (1630-1708, cf. Thieme/Becker XXIX, 397), as are the fine portrait of the Duke and a scene showing him lying in state among angels; the three views of the closed coffin, the funeral procession, the plate of memorial coins, and the three plates showing the order of the procession are very likely his work as well. The end is brought up by Kaspar von Stieler's "Hoch-Fürstlicher Ehren-Altar", "a giant-sized poem of 616 rhymed trochaic eight-beat lines, followed, with special title page, by 'Josias, Das ist: Der weyland Durchläuchtigste Fürst und Herr, Herr Ernst Herzog zu Sachsen [...] Mit dem Gottseligen Könige Josia verglichen von M. Heinrich Ernst Treibern [...]'; 208 alexandrine lines, with annotations" (Faber du F.). The poet, jurist, and lexicographer Stieler (1632-1707) is often cited as possible editor of the entire fêtebook. - No other copy with 10 plates is known: contains not only the frequently missing portrait (c. 60 x 44 cm), but also both views of the un-draped coffin. Occasional slight paper damage to multiple folds; slight edge tear to portrait. Calf binding shows signs of professional restoration. Giltstamped spine has initials "F.V.W. | S.N.C." and year of binding "1681" together with tetragrammaton stamps. A clean, well-preserved and unbrowned copy on good paper. VD 17, 23:249754Q (only 7 plates). Hollstein 39, 93, 391-400. Jantz 3357. STC W 1222. Vinet 734. Ornamentstichslg. Berlin 3111. Lipperheide Sbe 8. Bulling 70. Seebaß, N. F., 879 (last 10 ff. only). Dünnhaupt (Stieler) 28. Bircher, Kat. der Fruchtbringenden Gesellschaft, 749. Faber du Faur, 347a. Jantz 3357. Not in Ruggieri.