Richental's famous “Council of Constance” in Original Colouring and Four Illustrated Law Treatises

Richental, Ulrich. Das Concilium. Augsburg, Heinrich Steiner, 1536. (And:) 4 large law treatises: Mainz, Ivo Schöffer, 1534 / Main, Christian Egenolff, 1534 / Mainz, Johann Schöffer, 1531 / Frankfurt am Main, Christian Egenolff, 1535. Folio (c. 290 x 200 mm). Original blind-stamped pigskin binding over wooden boards.

Richental's chronicle in a contemporary pigskin binding and fiery coloured.
Bound together with four law treatises, printed between 1531 and 1536

This bulky, presumably Augsburg pigskin binding combines the second printing of Ulrich Richental’s famous Chronicle of the Council of Constance of 1536 with four editions of important law treatises from the years 1531 - 1535, including the first edition of the Constitutio Criminalis of Emperor Charles V. The problems and reform ideas raised in the Council of Constance with regard to church and empire were also virulent in the Reformation period, which explains the unusual compilation of texts. The colouring of the Council chronicle, which ends after two thirds of the book but includes almost all of the 42 large woodcuts, yet only the minority of the more than 1100 coats of arms, indicates that the first owner was not a nobleman but rather a politically ambitious citizen of the imperial city of Augsburg, where the Reformation was effectively introduced in 1534 by majority vote of the council.

Literature: Not in Adams; BM STC German 729; not in Brunet (first printing only); cf. Davies, Fairfax Murray, German, no. 353; Dodgson II, p. 110, no. 8; Ebert 5083; Feger; Graesse II, 246; Muther 1109; Neufforge 465; VD 16 R 2202; Wacker. - I.: Radbruch; Roth, p. 188, no. 17; VD 16 D 1071; II.: VD 16 W 4388; III.: BM STC German 64; cf. Geisberg, nos. 777-798 (edition 1507: Wolf Traut); Roth, p. 83, no. 150; VD 16 B 262; IV.: BM STC German 758; Schottenloher, Bibliographie III, 28151; VD 16 D 765.

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