Tobias Stimmer’s pair of woodcuts, “Sultans of Persia”, c1575

Tobias Stimmer (1539–1584)

Pair of woodcuts, “Sultans of Persia: (left) Tammasus Sophi Persarum; (right) Baiazeres 1. Turcarum Rex” (descriptive title only), c1575, set within aedicula ornamental frames of strapwork and allegorical figures, published in Basel in 1575 by Pietro Perna (1519–1582) and Henricus Petrus (1508–1579) as illustrations to Paolo Giovio’s (aka Paulo Jovio; Paulus Jovius) (1483–1552) “Pavli Iovii Novocomensis Episcopi Nvcerini Elogia Virorum bellica virtute illustrium: Septem libris iam olim ab Authore comprehensa, Et nunc ex eiusdem Mvsaeo ad viuum expressis Imaginibus exornata” (aka “Elogia virorum bellica virtute illustrium” [The titles of distinguished military power]).

This pair of woodcuts may be viewed online in the context of the publication at archive.org:

(left) page 376 (https://archive.org/details/pavliioviinovoco00giov_0/page/376/mode/2up);

(right) page 108 (https://archive.org/details/pavliioviinovoco00giov_0/page/108/mode/2up).

I understand from the Wikipedia discussion about the publisher of these prints (Pietro Perna), that in “1570 Perna sent the artist Tobias Stimmer to Como to copy the famous collection of historical portraits in the [Paolo] Giovio Collection” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Perna). Possibly, this pair of woodcuts are based on portraits in (or were in) Giovio’s collection of 484 portraits.

Woodcuts on laid paper with letterpress text verso and narrow margins around the image borderlines backed with a single support sheet.

Size: (each sheet approx.) 16.1 x 15.4 cm; (approx. image borderline of each sheet) 16 x 15.3 cm.

Condition: well-printed impressions showing minor signs of wear to the printing plates. The upper left corner of the left print has been replenished, otherwise both sheets are in very good condition for their age with no stains or foxing and are laid onto a single archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper.

I am selling this fine pair of Renaissance period woodcuts that consist of an inner plate featuring a portrait and an outer plate that is an ornamental frame designed to give aura of importance to the portrayed figure, for $300 in total for the pair of prints (currently US$211.35/EUR180.28/GBP162.82 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing these very interesting early woodcuts—note that the ornamental woodcut frames were used on other prints such as Stimmer’s woodcut, “Portrait of Francesco Filelfo” (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1909-0729-2 )—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This pair of prints has been sold