Sturm, Caspar. Die Kleyn Fürstlich Chronica. Strasbourg: Jakob Cammerlander, 1544.
First and only edition of Sturm’s concise history of the world, tracing the course of civilization from creation to the reign of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558). Richly illustrated, the volume features 86 medallion portraits of Roman and German emperors, striking dance of death scenes depicting a pope, king, and soldier, as well as allegorical representations of the Day of Judgment and the printer’s mark of winged Fortune. Complete with every page and the pages are still very bright and clear of tanning or foxing. Rebound in a sturdy 19th century brown cloth binding.
This copy bears the distinguished provenance of Gilbert R. Redgrave, renowned art historian and bibliographer, best known for co-editing the Short-Title Catalogue (STC) of English books printed between 1475 and 1640. Redgrave’s bookplate adorns the volume, and a lengthy handwritten note on the front flyleaf provides his bibliographic insights on the illustrations and related works.
A particularly fascinating detail is the dance of death scene featuring the pope, in which Death’s declaration—critical of papal authority—was deliberately obscured by an early hand. The original text reads:
“Pope, where is your holiness now?
To God and the world a false appearance,
In which the world has been deceived
And God’s power has been stolen with lies.”
Exceptionally rare, with fewer than 10 institutional copies worldwide (mostly in Germany), and none recorded in the United States per USTC and OCLC. An outstanding example of 16th-century historiography and iconography, particularly significant for its connection to the danse macabre tradition and early Reformation-era critiques of ecclesiastical authority.
