Hereditas Antikvárium

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12. Könyvárverés

(Lauingae Suevorum, 1615. typis Palatinis excudebat M. Jacobus Winter.) 207p. With numerous full-page, copper engravings and round-shaped vignettes within pagination.
The work, aimed at presenting the Hungarian Holy Crown, combines the royal mirror, which was very popular at the time, with the genre of emblemata perfected by Alciatus and Zsámboky. The elements of the crown are illustrated with allegorical images (emblems) meant to show the virtues of the good monarch.
The volume—similar to Péter Révay's published two years earlier—was inspired by the coronation of Mátyás II as Hungarian king and the delivery of the crown jewels to Pozsony. The author dedicated the book to Palatine György Thurzó (as Révay did).
Kristóf Lackner was the mayor of Sopron, a scientist and polymath. He studied law in Italy and founded a Learned Society in his hometown. In addition to being one of the Hungarian practitioners of Stoic political scientific literature, he wrote many school dramas as well. He also studied goldsmithing, and according to some sources, he made the copperplates of the book. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the first national copper engraving, the creator of which is known, was his view of Sopron.
Scarce work, as far as we know, it has appeared at auction only once in the past quarter of a century.
Contemporary vellum. A double black line frames the front and back covers, and the inner corners are stamped with stylized plant ornaments. In the middle of each cover, the impression of (different) cavalrymen is stamped in oval frames. The binding boards were made from sheets of contemporary prints.
RMK III 1156., Apponyi: 715.