Brant's Stultifera navis

Brant's Stultifera navis
Johann Schönsperger, 1 April 1497
BRANT, Sebastian (1457-1521). Stultifera navis. Translated from German into Latin by Jacobus Locher Philomusus in collaboration with the author. Augsburg: Johann Schönsperger, 1 April 1497.

Piracy of the first Latin edition of the Ship of Fools, including woodcuts by Dürer, printed a month after Bergmann's Basel edition. Blending medieval imagery with humanist ideals and an ironic sense of humor, Brant populated his ship bound for the fools' paradise of Narragonia with idiots from every level of society, not sparing even himself—the book opens with a chapter “on the uselessness of books.” The fine woodcut illustrations are those commissioned for the first edition (in German) of 1494, at least 70 of which are now attributed to Dürer. “The woodcut illustrations created for the Das Narrenschiff are of immense density and tenseness. Since there was no iconographical tradition for this newly conceived text, the subjects and scenes of the illustrations had to be created entirely new. The images presented are of such convincing force that their equal in design had never before been seen” (De Simone). The Basel edition, which this reprints, was the first literary work to announce the discovery of the New World (not surprising, since it was Bergmann who published the first German edition of the Columbus letter in 1493). One of several piracies published in the months following Bergmann's edition, this one was printed, of course, on April Fool’s Day. H 3748*; GW 5056; BMC II 370; BSB-Ink B-818; Bod-inc B-508; Schr 3569; Goff B-1088; ISTC ib01088000. See also PMM 37 and Daniel De Simone, A Heavenly Craft (2004).

Chancery octavo (148 x 101mm). 148 leaves. Many woodcuts (narrow dampstaining at edges, light dustsoiling). Modern brown morocco with yapp edges, gilt edges (top yapp detaching, wear at joints). Provenance: marginalia correcting and sometimes commenting on the text – partially erased inscription dated 1579.