Book - Pollux, Julius: Onomasticon. Basel, 1541

The plates are enclosed by two kinds of rolled borders the outer one is with foliage only, the inner one shows children amongst the foliage, one of whom is the child Christ, with a halo around his head and the cross in his arms. The Serpent is at his ankles. Another child is holding a shield with the initials HC. In the middle is a pressed "supralibros" and the arms of the Prince-Elector of Saxony. The arms are surmounted by the letters T, L, F, and V, with the date 1569 below. The back plate shows the arms of the city of Wittenberg in the middle an angel holds a scroll with an inscription above the city gate: INSIGNIA/ VR (BISWITEBER. There is another inscription at the bottom: NIL VALIDEAI WERE ARCES /AVT ROBORA BELLT. SED MERI/ TO PIETAS POPVLIS FOR = TISSIMA TVRRIS.H. CANTZ: The four-bandelback is without decoration. This binding was earlier attributed to Jacob Krause, the royal bookbinder of August, Prince Elector of Saxony, but as the maker's mark shows, it was actually made by Hans Cantzler (?-1580) of Wittenberg. This master had an important workshop and made several expensive and elaborate pieces. He was made an honorary member of the city council. The HC initials were at first not identified (K.Haebler), because it was supposed that this rolled decoration was used only after 1590. However, it is very probable that this book was made by Hans Cantzler (for more information about the bookbinder and the master with the mark H.C. cf: Haebler 1928,pp.72-78 about a companion piece cf. Graz, Mazal 1970, p.56.fig. 148).