This rare woodcut depicting Istanbul is one of the earliest available views of the city. Largely an anachronistic view, it provides an early record of several major cultural monuments, including numerous mosques and the Justinian Column. One of the interesting aspects of the view is the inclusion of several large windmills located within the impressive city walls. A large ship in the foreground represents the city's strategic location on the straits of Bosphorus. On a sheet of German text measuring 8.7 x 11.9". On verso is a portrait of Saint Helena. This leaf is from a rare reduced edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle, that is often called the Mini-Schedel or the Augsburg Chronicle.

Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle, published in 1493, presented the history of the world in a pictorial encyclopedia. Among the illustrations were views of towns and cities throughout Europe and the Near East, and an enormous number of other subjects, including diagrams of the Creation, comets, family trees, portraits & biblical scenes. The folio Chronicle was very expensive and thus Johann Schonsperger, who specialized in reprints, saw the opportunity to publish a smaller and less costly version. He published German versions in 1496 & 1500 and a Latin version in 1497. These are often referred to as pirated editions because they were published without the consent of Schedel or the original printer, Anton Koberger.

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Condition: B+

A nice impression with marginal soiling, some worm holes at left (one of which touches the neatline), and a tear and chip at bottom that have been repaired with old paper.