Contemporary colouring.- Nitzschewitz (Hermannus) Novum beatae Mariaevirginis psalterium, collation: A B⁸ C¹⁰ A-F⁸ H⁸ [*]⁴ HH I-K⁸ L⁶, 97ff. only (of 116, lacking A^1-8, C¹, E¹, E^6-8, F¹, F⁸, H^4-5, HH^1&3), text leaves with 40 lines, Gothic type, initials in red and blue, rubricated, numerous woodcut illustrations, all in contemporary hand-colouring, some tears and defects, a few leaves misbound, woodcut title supplied in good facsimile, old ?Italian blind-stamped morocco over wooden boards, metal clasps, bosses and edge-strips, possibly a remboitage, front endpaper peeling back to reveal early vellum ms leaf as pastedown, 4to (212 x 154mm.), [Zinna], [Press of the Cistercian Monastery], [c.1493 and not after 1496]; sold not subject to return.

⁂ The substantial remnants of a highly important and rare book; one of the most beautiful of all illustrated German incunables. This is the only known work printed at the Zinna monastery. The highly stylized woodcuts depict the lives of Christ and Mary while one full-page illustration shows Frederick III with a Virgin and child sprouting from his chest while he hands on his sword to Maximilian kneeling behind him. The binding would appear to be similar to that on another copy, sold by Christie's in 1981. We can trace few copies at auction and none with contemporary colouring.

Literature: BMC III, 700; Goff N260; H 11891*; Bod-inc N-118; BSB-Ink N-208; GW M27158.