Bidspirit auction | 1493 WOODCUT LINEAGE OF ALEXANDER

1493 WOODCUT LINEAGE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND HIS GENERALS, SUCCESSOR KINGS, NUREMBERG CHRONICLE, TWO PAGE SPREAD - A two-page spread from the Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the most famous of the early incunable printings of Europe and one of the first to successfully combine illustrations and text. Its creation involved the workshop of Michael Wohlgemuth, the mentor of Albrecht Durer, and was published by Anton Koberger, Durer's Godfather. This two-page spread shows the lineage of Alexander the Great, both literal and figurative, as shown with a long vine. Phillip of Macedon and Olympias, the parents of Alexander, are shown on the right-hand page, but Phillip is set apart from Olympias and is not holding the vine. Instead, sitting alongside Olympias, is a man named Nectabanus Magus, more commonly referred to as Nectanebus. From the time of Alexander there was a legend that Olympias had been deceived and seduced by Nectanebus, a wizard and exiled Pharaoh of Egypt, pretending to be a God. He, supposedly, was the real father of Alexander, and passed his supernatural ability on to his Son. Throughout the pages are some of the more prominent Successor Kings to Alexander's empire, including Ptolemy I of Egypt, Antigonus the One-Eyed of Macedon, and Seleucus I, founder of the Seleucid Empire. Nuremberg, Germany, 1493. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All lots are sold ”as-is”, refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not ship in-house. A list of recommended shippers will be provided. Dimensions: Pages Side by Side: 17 x 24 3/4 in., (43.2 x 62.9 cm.) Condition: Very good with some minor foxing consistent with age. Ink well preserved.