De Optimo Reip.Statu, Deque noua insula Vtopia, libellus uere aureus (BM 1904,0206.53 1)

Three title page border woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger and Urs Graf respectively, two woodcut illustrations by Ambrosius Holbein, three printer's devices after Hans Holbein, and various initials from alphabets by Ambrosius and Hans Holbein; published with Latin letterpress in Thomas Moore's 'Utopia' and two other parts, bound in one volume, all printed by Johann Froben in Basle; the title page border (fol.a1 recto, repeated on fol.c1 recto) by Hans Holbein the Younger, with an architectural arch and putti holding a scoll with the title in letterpress, at the bottom two putti holding a shield with the device of Froben; a title page border by Urs Graf (fol.x1 recto) with columns surmounted by a fool and a satyr, at the bottom two putti holding a blank shield; a title page border by Hans Holbein with a procession of children (fol.L1 recto); with two woodcut illustrations by Ambrosius Holbein, one showing an aerial view of the island Utopia, in the foreground two sailing ships, at the bottom the depiction of Thomas More and Hythlodaeus on the left, and Petrus Aegidius on the right (fol.b2 verso); the second illustration showing an outdoor scene showing Hythlodaeus, More and Aegidius seated on a grassy bench and talking, on the left houses and a servant (fol. d1 recto); Froben's printer's devices on fols. v2 verso, L2 verso, W2 verso; various metalcut initials of different alphabets throughout the text. (November and December) 1518

Woodcuts, metalcuts and letterpress