(Buchinger, Matthias) | Buchinger's own family tree

(Buchinger, Matthias)
Fine autograph calligraphic family tree of Buchinger's own family signed ("Mathew Buchinger") and with four further internal signatures ("Matthew Buchinger")

Manuscript on two sheets of overlaid paper (overall 272 x 197 mm), the upper sheet with fifteen cutouts to reveal writing on second sheet, [England,] 1734. Matted.

Buchinger's own family tree is one of his most attractive, demonstrating his incredible skill with a knife or scissors in addition to his calligraphy. This manuscript is also in the finest possible state of preservation, as fresh as the day Buchinger set down his pen after completing it.

The Buchinger family tree is captioned on the top sheet below the ruled border: "In The Year of Our Lord 1734. This Tree was Drawn and Written by Mathew Buchinger, born Without Hands or Feet, In Germany Jun the 3d 1674, Married Lawfully to 4. Wife, & set forth the Number of his Children, in the fruit, on Each Branch, in Which Place, the Day and the Year, the was born."

A large cutout window on the top sheet reveals the record of Buchinger's four marriages, to Elsebe Shoomaker, 15 March 1701; Margeth Assawein, 3 December 1706; Ann Catharin Kemmelmeyer, 24 July 1710; and Ann Elizabeth Teys, 17 July 1722. The birth dates and places of each of his wives are also noted, as are the death dates and places of the first three (fine decorative designs below each of these entries remain hidden by the upper sheet of paper). This top sheet additionally has fourteen cutouts that disclose the births of Buchinger's fourteen children, which are also detailed on the second sheet. The children by each wife are suspended from four separate branches: one by Elsebe, three by Margeth, six by Ann Catharin, and four by Ann Elizabeth.

Buchinger's peripatetic life is evidenced by the varied birthplaces of his children, which included Oldenburg, Strasburg, Nottingham, Zurich, Kempten, Halle, London, Belfast, Cork, Edinburgh, and Dublin.

REFERENCE:
Exemplars, p. 68; MB, figs. 36, 37; Wordplay 65

Condition Report:
Condition as described in catalogue entry.

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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