Designed by Andreas Bretschneider, German, ca. 1578-?1640, printed by Henning Gross the younger, Leipzig.
Etched hand-colored title page, 29 etched plates (including 3 counterproofs), 20 pages of designs including 4 duplicates.
Lotz 55 describes the 1619 edition, the only one known to Lotz. Of the 1619 edition he cites the complete copy in the Landesbibliothek, Kassel, an incomplete copy in Berlin, and 4 leaves in MMA. The facsimile published by Wasmuth of Berlin in 1892 is made from the Berlin copy. The title and 2 missing leaves supplied from the Kassel copy. Every pattern in this edition of 1605 appears in the facsimile, 156.11 B 75 MMA library. This copy lacks 1 leaf (2 pp.) of dedication, * pls. 3,1129 and 44 of fac. Several of these patterns are copied from or based upon the following ones in Hoffman’s “Gantz new Modelbuch” of 1607 L.48 of which MMA has a photographic copy, Dick 1028. Bretschneider pl. 21 see Hoffmann pl. 3, B. pl. 27 see H. pl. 13, B. pl. 31 see H. pl. 18, B. pl. 33 see H. pl. 19, B. pl. 32 see H. pl. 5, B. pl. 35 see H. pl. 6, B. pl. 34 see H. pl 11 upper, B. pl. 36 see H. pl. 11 lower, B. pl. 42 see H. pl. 20, B. pl. 50 see H. pl. 4, B. pl. 43 see H. pl. 10. 50 leaves, unnumbered, unsigned (except for title which is signed “Andreas Bretschneider Mahller”), complete copy in Kassel has 48 leaves, no. dupls. This one lacks 5 pls. but has 7 extra. Additional reference is Hollstein-German engravings…1400-1700, 1954- v. IV, p. 155 (gives additional refs. for 1619 ed.) The dedication of 1619 is dated 1619 under arms of Catharina von Dortstats and again at the end: “Leipzig 3 Febr. 1619” This edition probably had a dedication which, with 4 plates in 1619 and without counterproofs and duplicates, would make a complete copy of 48 leaves. Pl. 28 is pounced. Pl. 50 (rabbit) is pounced. Bound in tan leather, stamped and gilded.