The Book of Chess

Jacobus de Cessolis|Heinrich Knoblochtzer

1483 · Woodcuts with letterpress, touches of watercolor · Drawings and Prints

This book about the game of chess and the ranks of society is the fourth German, second Strasburg edition. The woodcuts are based on the ones found in Günther Zainer's Augsburg edition. The text is divided into books, the first touches on the origins of chess and the reasons for its invention; the next two books explain how the pieces represent different ranks of society. The different social classes are then made the subject of anecdotes and illustrations. The fourth book concerns the game itself.

Artist

Jacobus de Cessolis|Heinrich Knoblochtzer

Date

1483

Medium

Woodcuts with letterpress, touches of watercolor

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Pfeiffer Fund, 2018