Illustrated 1607 Const-thoonende ivweel Haerlem Fabula Comica

[N.N.]

Illustrated, Dutch History, Religious Theater 1607 | Const-thoonende ivweel by de loflijcke stadt Haerlem ten versoecke van Trou moet blijcken in ‘t licht gebracht […] in twaelf spelen van sinne. Zwolle, Z. Heyns, 1607. [Gebonden met:] Haerlems ivweel tot nut van de oude arme uyt liefde ten thoon ghestelt (…). Zwolle, Z. Heyns, 1608, (52) pag. [En met:] Schonaeus, Cornelis, Fabula Comica, Zwolle, Z. Heyns, 1607.

Name: Illustrated, Dutch History, Religious Theater 1607 | Const-thoonende ivweel by de loflijcke stadt Haerlem ten versoecke van Trou moet blijcken in 't licht gebracht [...] in twaelf spelen van sinne. Zwolle, Z. Heyns, 1607. [Gebonden met:] Haerlems ivweel tot nut van de oude arme uyt liefde ten thoon ghestelt (...). Zwolle, Z. Heyns, 1608, (52) pag. [En met:] Schonaeus, Cornelis, Fabula Comica, Zwolle, Z. Heyns, 1607.
SKU: 42311
Price: 6000.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

4°. Full contemporary parchment binding, blind stamped. A very rare, complete copy, with all 3 volumes–including the often-missing “Fabula comica”–bound together. Illustrated with three title vignettes, 14 engraved, large-scale fold-outs depicting procession views of pageant participants (ranging from 13 x 56 cm to 13 x 135 cm), 15 nearly full-page engravings of the blazons of participants (14 societies plus the Latin School), two engravings of the stages used for performance, 13 sheets of music notation, and 1 allegorical engraving specific to the “Fabula comica”. The “Haerlems ivwell” in this edition has 52 pp. (rather than 24 pp., as sometimes occurs) and includes a page of music notation. Numerous print types used, including civilté. Small tear in bottom front hinge. Traces of rust from a paper clip on blank pages, not affecting any text. Manuscript in ink on the recto of one of the fold-outs. A few pages of cooked paper near the end of the “Const-thoonende ivweel”. Small stain on one fold-out. B0779

This richly illustrated volume from the early 17th century chronicles the Rhetorician Festival held in Haarlem in 1607. While theater festivals had a long tradition in the Netherlands, they faded from prominence in the latter half of the 16th century due to religious upheavals and the 80 Years’ War. This publication is noteworthy in theater and religious history for providing an extremely detailed account of the return of pageants in the Netherlands. Only one other such festival dates to the 17th century in the Netherlands (Vlaardingen, 1617). At these events, societies from across the Netherlands presented original “speel van sinnen”–morality plays–to support fundraising organized by the city of Haarlem for an old mens’ home.

Divided into three parts, the first part of the book transcribes the 12 “speel” presented by regional societies, including verses that introduce and explain the play, a ballad about the role of each character, illustrations of all the players, and a conclusory refrain and song (with printed musical scores). The engraved illustrations depict over 300 different characters across 14 large-scale fold-out sheets. The second part of the book contains a 13th morality play, again with a fold-out of unique characters. The third part of the book is a “Fabula comica” by Schonaeus, in Latin, with an accompanying Dutch text meant to supplement the Latin play.

Optocht – blazoenen – triomfboog – toneel – muziekschrift – Haarlems juweel – Haerlems iuweel – Haarlems ivweel – 1607

SKU: 42311

€ 6.540,00 (€ 6.000,00 ex. btw)

In stock