34 - KOBEL (Jacob). Wapon des heiligen Romischen Reichs Teutscher nation. Frankfurt am Main, Cyriacus Jacob, 1545. Folio, mid-19th-century English binding in light brown calfskin, ribbed spine decorated with title and volume number labels in Lavallière morocco, double border of gilt and blind-stamped fillets with corner fleurons and a large central motif on the covers, gilt edges (Bedford)

KOBEL (Jacob). Wapon des heiligen Romischen Reichs Teutscher nation. Frankfurt am Main, Cyriacus Jacob, 1545. Folio, mid-19th-century English binding in light brown calfskin, ribbed spine decorated with title and volume number labels in Lavallière morocco, double border of gilt and blind-stamped fillets with corner fleurons and a large central motif on the covers, gilt edges (Bedford) An extremely rare first edition of this astonishing and superb work, consisting of 144 spectacular full-page woodcut prints depicting German soldiers brandishing the banners of various cities of the Holy Roman Empire. The coats of arms of the cities appear on the unfurled flags held at arm’s length by an equal number of Landsknechts, all distinct from one another—some standing, others posed in a wide variety of positions against landscape backdrops. In addition to its artistic merits, this remarkable Baroque illustration serves as a valuable record of military uniforms. The last 24 banners were left blank, likely so they could be completed upon request. The artist, who signed some of the plates with his monogram “IK,” has not been definitively identified. Brunet, who was unaware of this first edition and mentions only the second (1579)—without having seen it—attributes its authorship to Jost Ammann, a claim that does not seem to hold water, nor does the attribution to the author of the volume, Jacob Kobel (Benzing). More recently, the Bernese painter and wood engraver Jakob Kallenberg (c. 1535–1565) has been cited; this attribution is also rejected by Hollstein (German Engravings, Etchings, and Woodcuts, 1400–1700, XV B, p. 205): “not identical with a woodcutter IK, active in Frankfurt during the same period.” This first edition is extremely rare and is missing from all the collections of illustrated books we have consulted. The very extensive Lipperheide Collection, in particular, possesses only the second edition (Qb4), which is also very rare. The work is not listed in the USTC global database. A very fine copy, impeccably preserved, with very wide margins, elegantly bound by Bedford. The spine is slightly worn but sturdy, despite a very slight crack beginning at the top. From the Huth Library, with an ex-libris. Acquired by Émile Rossignol in 1960. See illustrations on the following pages.