Biographical references: ADB. • WBI.

1. German, 1498 [First edition].
[E]In wahrhafftig büchlein gar nücz= | lich zu hören: Zw manchen sachen | Dar in zu lernen Dō der edel tugent und | krafft wegē dy an den edeln steinen synt: | Das manchē mēschen zu hilff mag kumē | der ir tuget lernt zu verstē auß dieszē büch | lein Dā got hat in ir krafft olichē warlich | Als wol als andern dingē oder kreaturē: | [Ornament, being a small woodcut, showing a young man sitting before a collection of false and authentic precious stones.]

4°: [1¹⁰]; 10l.; no pagination, signiature, or foliation marks. Text in 2 columns in Gothic letter. Verso of the last leaf is blank, as well as the second column of the recto of the last leaf.

Contents: 1/1r, Title page.; 1/1v-1/10r, Text, beginning, "Vo d krafft vn eigē | schafftē des Edel gesteines. | meisterlich in Reimē gesetzet. | O reicher got gib mir die krafft | vernunfft kūst meisterschafft | das ich bedichte rein | hie sag vō Edelem gestein."; 1/10r, Colophon: "[Dark C] Gedruckt Zw Erffort | In sant Pauls pfar. Zw | dē weissen lilligen berge. | Anno dni: 1498."; 1/10v, Blank.

Edition princeps. Extremely rare. Printed in Erfurt by Hans Spörer [see note below], this poetic lapidary was written sometime between 1252 and 1254. It describes a variety of gemstones in 1008 verses, and includes the 12 stones of the Apocalypse, as well as precious and semiprecious examples. Information about the stones is derived from several unnamed sources. Described species include: Almendein, Topasius, Smaragdus, Karfunckel, Jochant, Cristall, Achat, Amantist, Crisoleite, Onichilus, Jaspis, Dyemant, Kappenstein, Carniol, Corall, Antite, Schwalwenstein, Zinen, Aldropi, Kröttenstein, Merayte, Calcosan, Perlein, Mucros, Oytalias, Türckis, Elyte, Calcedon, Sardius, Flammat, Gamachw, Rubein, Balas, Crisoforas, Granat and Jachänt, Diacoda, Barill, Sarderein, Crisopras, Augstein, Ademast, Crisolitus, Topasius, Gagatometus, and Domedus.

This description is principally based upon the information provided by Sudhoff (1908), who mentions a modern (to him) reprinting of the text, "Büsching (Museum II, 56)," which so far has not been traced. The Hans Lambel 1877 edition also mentions this earlier text.

Hans Spörer. (Born:      ; Died:      ) German printer. Spörer printed two block books in 1471 and 1473. He next surfaces in 1487 as a printer in Bamburg, where his press produced continuously until 1494. In 1494, he reestablished himself in Erfurt to escape punishment for printing an unflattering squib about the Duke Albert of Saxony. He continued to work in Erfurt until the close of the century.

Bibliographical references: Adams, Birth and Development, 1938: 146. • ADB: 40, 259-61. • Klebs, Incunabula Scientifica, 1938: no. 932.1. • Kleist, W., "Eine neue Handschrift von Volmars Steinbuch", Zeitschrift für deutsche Altertum, 103, (1974), 185-92. • Poynter, F.N.L., "The Editio Princeps of Volmar's Steinbuch?", Sudhoffs Archiv für Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften, 44, (1960), 21-25. • Schramm, Bilderschmuck der Frühdrucke, 1922-36: 13, 309. • Schreiber, Manuel de la Gravure, 1893-1911: no. 3656. • Sudhoff, Deutsche Medizinische Inkunabeln, 1908: no. 85. • Wellcome Catalog (Books): 1, ??. (Spörer) BMC XV: 1, 176 & 2, 591. • Hase, M. von, "H. Sporer und seine Erfurter Zeit (1494-1500)," Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens, 7 (1966), Sp. 1141-52.

2. German, 1877 [Modern edition].
Das Steinbuch. | Ein Altdeutsches Gedicht | Von Volmar. | [rule] | Mit Einleitung, Anmerkungen Und Einem Anhange | Herausgegeben | Von | Hans Lambel. | [ornament] | [ornate rule] | Heilbronn. | Verlag Von Gebr. Henninger. | 1877.

8°: [I]-XXXIII, [1], [1]-137, [1] p. Page size: 202 x 144 mm.

Contents: [I-II], Title page, verso blank.; [III]-XXXIII, "Einleitung."-signed H.L, June 1877.; [1 pg], Blank.; [1], Sectional title page, "Daz Steinbuoch."; [2], Blank.; [3]-32, Text of Volmar's Steinbuch.; [33]-91, "Anmerkungen."; [92], Blank.; [93], "Anhang."; [94]-134, Text of the supplement.; [135]-137, "Register."; [1 pg], "Verbesserungen und Zsätze."

Scarce. Modern edition, edited with considerable commentary and notes by Hans Lambel [1842-     ]. An appendix contains German renderings of lapidaries attributed to St. Florian [     -c303 A.D.] from a 15th century manuscript and two short poems by Heinrichs von Mügeln [fl. 1346-1371].

Bibliographical references: Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 6928.