DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0033
Part I.—Introduction.
17
The presence or absence, however, of dates, especially of the latter Evidence of
sort, is accidental, and the argnment depends mainly on the evidence stJrIe-
afforded by the style of the woodcnts themselves. Herr Schreiber
examines all the blockbooks in detail from this point of view, and
comes to the following conclnsions. The earliest blockbooks which Early block-
have been preserved are certain German editions of the less known i?°°ks
r Mb. text.
works, which differ from the more famons blockbooks in that tlre text
is Avritten, not engraved, so that they belong to the period of transi-
tion in wliich the Briefmaler had learnt to reproduce the designs by
mechanical means but had not taken to printing the text. Examples
of these are the Symbolum Apostolicum, (1) (Vienna) 1450-60;
(2) (Heidelberg) c. 1460 ; The Eable of the Sick Lion (ITeidelberg
and Berlin), c. 1460, and an isolatec! German edition of the Biblia
Paupernm (Heidelberg), c. 1455-60, quite independent of the series
of editions which began in the Netherlands and was copied in
Germany, and undoubtedly founded on a different MS.* 1 A few
blockbooks produced in the Hetherlands are also found with MS.
text. The earliest of these is the legend of St. Servatius (Brussels),
with Frencli MS. text, which can be dated on historical grounds
after 1458.2
The existence of such “ xylochirographic ” blockbooks in the The fine
middle of the century does not disprove, but ratlier tends to confirm, ht°^)0oks
the main contention that the blockbooks with xylograpliic text are Netherlands.
posterior in date to the invention of printing. The great group of
these blockbooks, of which the earliest and finest editions were
produced in the Netherlands, is to be dated about 1460-65. This
group rncludes the Biblia Pauperum, the Canticum Canticorum, the
Ars Moriendi, and (a little later) the Speculum Humanse Salva-
tionis.3 All these books have certain characteristics in common
printed text) there is a copy dated 1471, while single copies or fragments of several
other small works (not blockbooks) printed with the same type as the Speculum are
dated by hand (1472,between 1471 and 1474) or have heen found accompauying printed
fragments of the years 1467-1495. An edition of the Biblia Pauperum lias a binding
dated 1467. The Prophecies of the Sibyis (St. Gallen—unique)hasthe same engraver’s
mark as the 1468 Calendar. Of various editions of the Apocalypse one has a binding
dated 1467, another is bound up with a MS. dated 1469, wliile a third lias been copied in a
MS. dated 1478.
1 One leaf is reproduced in Schr. vii, pl. 45. The date assigned seems quite tho
latest possible. I should have thought 1450 nearer the mark. A still earlier block-
book, the Passion of Clirist (Yienna), “in the simple outline manner of the middle of
the xv century ” (Schr.), is in book-form but without even MS. text.
2 One leaf is reproduced in Schr. viii, pl. 96. The relics of St. Servatius were
exhibited to pilgrims at Maestricht every seven years. The blockbook may have been
engraved for the pilgrims of 1461 or 1468.
3 Sir W. M. Conway dates the three blockbooks wliich fall within the scope of his
'' work, the Biblia Pauperum, the Canticum C’anticorum, and tlie Speculnm, “before
1467,” “ before 1467,” and “ before 1474,” respectively (“ Woodcutters of the Nether-
lands,” p. 323).
C
17
The presence or absence, however, of dates, especially of the latter Evidence of
sort, is accidental, and the argnment depends mainly on the evidence stJrIe-
afforded by the style of the woodcnts themselves. Herr Schreiber
examines all the blockbooks in detail from this point of view, and
comes to the following conclnsions. The earliest blockbooks which Early block-
have been preserved are certain German editions of the less known i?°°ks
r Mb. text.
works, which differ from the more famons blockbooks in that tlre text
is Avritten, not engraved, so that they belong to the period of transi-
tion in wliich the Briefmaler had learnt to reproduce the designs by
mechanical means but had not taken to printing the text. Examples
of these are the Symbolum Apostolicum, (1) (Vienna) 1450-60;
(2) (Heidelberg) c. 1460 ; The Eable of the Sick Lion (ITeidelberg
and Berlin), c. 1460, and an isolatec! German edition of the Biblia
Paupernm (Heidelberg), c. 1455-60, quite independent of the series
of editions which began in the Netherlands and was copied in
Germany, and undoubtedly founded on a different MS.* 1 A few
blockbooks produced in the Hetherlands are also found with MS.
text. The earliest of these is the legend of St. Servatius (Brussels),
with Frencli MS. text, which can be dated on historical grounds
after 1458.2
The existence of such “ xylochirographic ” blockbooks in the The fine
middle of the century does not disprove, but ratlier tends to confirm, ht°^)0oks
the main contention that the blockbooks with xylograpliic text are Netherlands.
posterior in date to the invention of printing. The great group of
these blockbooks, of which the earliest and finest editions were
produced in the Netherlands, is to be dated about 1460-65. This
group rncludes the Biblia Pauperum, the Canticum Canticorum, the
Ars Moriendi, and (a little later) the Speculum Humanse Salva-
tionis.3 All these books have certain characteristics in common
printed text) there is a copy dated 1471, while single copies or fragments of several
other small works (not blockbooks) printed with the same type as the Speculum are
dated by hand (1472,between 1471 and 1474) or have heen found accompauying printed
fragments of the years 1467-1495. An edition of the Biblia Pauperum lias a binding
dated 1467. The Prophecies of the Sibyis (St. Gallen—unique)hasthe same engraver’s
mark as the 1468 Calendar. Of various editions of the Apocalypse one has a binding
dated 1467, another is bound up with a MS. dated 1469, wliile a third lias been copied in a
MS. dated 1478.
1 One leaf is reproduced in Schr. vii, pl. 45. The date assigned seems quite tho
latest possible. I should have thought 1450 nearer the mark. A still earlier block-
book, the Passion of Clirist (Yienna), “in the simple outline manner of the middle of
the xv century ” (Schr.), is in book-form but without even MS. text.
2 One leaf is reproduced in Schr. viii, pl. 96. The relics of St. Servatius were
exhibited to pilgrims at Maestricht every seven years. The blockbook may have been
engraved for the pilgrims of 1461 or 1468.
3 Sir W. M. Conway dates the three blockbooks wliich fall within the scope of his
'' work, the Biblia Pauperum, the Canticum C’anticorum, and tlie Speculnm, “before
1467,” “ before 1467,” and “ before 1474,” respectively (“ Woodcutters of the Nether-
lands,” p. 323).
C