MISSALE CONSTANTIENSE Missale Constantiense. Augsburg, Erhard Ratdolt, nach 8. Mai 1504. Folio, 273 Bll., davon 1 weisses. Mit 2 blattgrossen und 2 kleineren altkolorierten und goldgehöhten Holzschnitten von Jörg Breu dem Älteren, einem weiteren Holzschnitt und Druckermarke. Textkapitale und einige der Illustrationen gedruckt in Rot und Schwarz. Der Kanon (8 Blatt) auf Pergament gedruckt. Blindgeprägter Schweinslederbd. über Holzdeckeln. Das Zentralstück, umrahmt von verschiedenen Rollenbordüren, zeigt vorne das Abendmahl und auf dem Hinterdeckel die Heilige Dreifaltigkeit. Gehämmerte Eckstücke und 2 Schliessen (Georg Endler in Nürnberg, ca. 1537). Nicht in Weale-Bohatta. Vgl. Campbell Dodgson, Jahrbuch der königl. preuss. Kunstammlungen, Bd. 21, Berlin 1900, SS. 192-214. Our edition of the missal differs slightly from Weale-Bohatta's description no. 308. It might have been published after May 8th, 1504, the date of the privilege of the Bishop of Constance and not April 24th, 1504, date which appears in the colophon. Our book is especially interesting on account of the two beautiful full-page woodcuts signed by Jörg Breu the Elder. The first one shows the Virgin standing on a pedestal with the coat of arms of Hugo von Hohenlandenberg, Bishop of Constance. To the left stands St. Conrad, to the right St. Pelagius, the patrons of the diocese of Constance. The whole group is framed by a Gothic portal with recumbent figures of Adam and Eve in the spandrels, and the date 1504. This and two further cuts rank among the earliest specimens of woodcuts printed in different colours and are prototypes of the Chiaroscuro-technique. The full-page cut in the Canon is printed on vellum. It shows Christ on the Cross. On the left is the Virgin, full-face with clasped hands. St. John is standing in profile on the right lifting up his eyes to Christ. All woodcuts were carefully coloured by a contemporary hand and some were heightened in gold. The woodcuts, whose impressions are very clear and fine, deserve special interest as they rank among Breu's few early works and bear his monogram. The fine Renaissance binding showing the "Last Supper" as a central panel on the front cover and the "Holy Trinity" on the back. The work of Georg Endler, bookbinder at Nuremberg in the second half of the 16th century. It shows his plates signed GE as described in Haebler, dated 1537, Rollen- und Plattenstempel I, 102/3, I-II. and op. cit. I 448, 1, 9. The binding is in excellent preservation. Our copy is complete except for the first blank leaf. A tear in leaf 2 was repaired at an early date. It is in a very beautiful state of preservation, with broad margins, extraordinary colouring and a beautiful blind-tooled binding of the time.