Lot 8: Israhel van Meckenem

Israhel van Meckenem
An Episcopal Crozier: the lower Plate (G. 450; L., Holl. 587)
engraving, circa 1495-1500, watermark Crowned Fleur-de-Lys (L. 18 and very similar to Piccard 597, dated Neustadt and Worms 1495), a fine impression of the lower half of this extremely rare print, the sheet reduced at the lower edge by approximately 78 mm., thus losing the artist's name, trimmed to the subject above and inside the platemark but outside the subject at the sides, some tiny touches of pen and ink in places, the lower corners made up, some unobtrusive flattened folds and creases, otherwise in very good condition
S. 331 x 117 mm.

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 17.5% on the buyer's premium.
Lehrs records a total of only 11 impressions or fragments of impressions of this engraving, the largest Meckenem ever attempted. Complete impressions from both plates are kept in Cambridge, London and two in Paris, including one with complete margins formerly in the Angiolini Collection (sold Gutekunst, Stuttgart, 1895, for M. 13,800 to Edmond de Rothschild). All other examples are either trimmed, silhouetted or otherwise fragmented.

The present impression is altogether earlier and superior to the complete example in the British Museum. The watermark of this sheet is also found on the impressions in Basel and Brussels.