Constantinople, Bologna and a Chess Player in the Liber chronicarum- Nuremberg Chronicle, an individual page from the Chronicle featuring Bisantium (Byzantium, now CONSTANTINOPLE) and Bononia (BOLOGNA), with Chess Player (Plate No. LXII)

Germany: Anton Koberger, 1494. First edition. Otherwise very good condition. This work by Schedel [1440-1514] is an illustrated world history which is based on the Bible, which follows the story of human history related in the Bible and includes the histories of a number of important Western cities. Written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel it appeared in 1493. It is a well documented incunabulum, one of the first to successfully combine illustrations and text.

This epic history divides human history into seven ages. Published and printed by Anton Koberger, the godfather of Albrecht Durer and the most successful German publisher of his day. The woodcut illustrations were made in the workshop of Michael Wolgemut [1434 - 1519], with an unprecedented number of 1,809 illustrations. These woodblocks include views of cities and towns, battles, kings, and saints.

This 4th age print is of Bizantium, with a smaller wood block of a man playing chess. Bononia (now Bologna) is on the verso. Bizantium is a walled city by the water with King Solomon's Temple prominent, with insets of kings on the left, including Nebuchadnezzar & Xerxes along with latin text. Bononia on verso sports many buildings and sailing ships. Approximately 11 1/2 x 17", b & w, slt dusty at edges and scant fox spotting on right edge, just barely touching right edge of image. Some marks at top of page by text.