Albrecht Dürers Fechtbuch (Sloane MS No.5229)

Albrecht Dürers Fechtbuch
Sloane MS No.5229, British Library London, United Kingdom
Hagedorn Leng —
Wierschin — Hils —
Type	Fencing manual
Date	ca. 1512
Place of origin	Nuremberg, Germany
Language(s)	Early New High German
Illustrator(s)	Albrecht Dürer
Material	Paper
Size	3 folia (220 mm × 330 mm)
Format	Single-sided; two illustrations per side, with text above
External data	Library catalog entry
Treatise scans	Digital scans Color facsimile (2000x2600) B&W facsimile (hi-res) B&W facsimile (low-res)

Sloane MS No.5229 contains a brief series of German fencing illustrations created in 1512 by Albrecht Dürer. The original currently rests in the holdings of the British Library in London, United Kingdom. These illustrations, like all of Dürer's fencing material, appear to be connected with the visit of Emperor Maximilian I to Dürer's home city of Nuremberg in 1512. Unlike the MS 26-232 these devices do not seem to be copied from another fencing manual, though they appear to be related to the tradition of Johannes Lecküchner.

Contents

1r - 67r	[Uncertain]
67v - 69r	Devices of Messer by Albrecht Dürer Images Draft Translation Open for editing Transcription by Friedrich Dörnhöffer 1512. A[lbrect] D[ürer] Item: The following four devices show the four guards of the messer, according to the usage of an artful master, and the four [master] hews that counter them. [67v] 1512 A D Item dye fir nachfolgetten stück sind dy fir leger im messer, wy sich ein künstlicher Meister dorein schicken soll und sind dy fir hew oder prüch dorwider. Bastion is broken by the Danger Hew Watch Tower is broken by the Anger Hew Steer is broken by the Waking Hew Boar is broken by the Constraining Hew pastey — pricht geferhaw luginsland — pricht entrusthaw stir — pricht weckerhaw eber — pricht zwingerhaw The guard is Bastion The Danger Hew is its counter. [68r] Leger in der pastey geferhaw ist sein pruch. The guard is Watch Tower The Anger Hew is its counter. Daz leger luginslant / entrusthaw ist sein pruch. The guard is Boar The Constraining Hew is its counter. [69r] Leger im eber / haw den zwinger ist sein pruch. The guard is Steer The Waking Hew is its counter. Daz leger im stier / der weckerhaw ist sein pruch.
69v -	[Uncertain]

Gallery

Folio 67r & 68r (details)

Folio 67v

Folio 68r

Folio 68v

Folio 69r

Additional Resources

• Dörnhöffer, Friedrich. "Albrecht Dürers Fechtbuch". Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses. Vienna: 1909. pp 300-462.
• Dörnhöffer, Friedrich. Albrecht Dürers Fechtbuch. Vienna: F. Tempsky, 1910.
• Strauss, Walter L. The complete drawings of Albrecht Dürer. New York: Abaris Books, 1974. ISBN 0913870005

Copyright and License Summary

For further information, including transcription and translation notes, see the discussion page.

Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Images	Albrecht Dürer	Die Ringkunst des deutschen Mittelalters
Translation	Michael Chidester	Wiktenauer
Transcription	Friedrich Dörnhöffer	Index:Albrecht Dürers Fechtbuch (Sloane MS No.5229)