Content: Apparently a proof copy of an unpublished work; possibly printed in Innsbruck (Fontana was attached tothe Tyrolean court from about 1573 to 1587), although not listed in F. Waldner's Quellenstudie z. Geschichte d. Typographie in Tirol (in: Innsbruck, Austria, Ferdinandeum. Zeitschrift. 3. Folge, Heft 32, 34 (1888, 1890))
Content: Comprises 68 large engravings, the 6th signed: Battista fontana Verone. All but the first are presumably after the drawings of another artist since Fontana is not known to have worked in Rome. There are many gaps in the representation of the sculptured history of the Dacian wars.
Content: The first engraving depicts Emperor Maximilian II, d. 1576, and his brothers Ferdinand and Charles, archdukes of Austria, each in armor and accompanied by a pictorial device and arms. The arms of the archdukes have been interchanged by mistake.--cf. arms and devices in terzio, F. Austriacae gentis imaginum. Oeniponte, 1569-73. The engraving has ms. legends, that at top reading: luste imperando... Floret Austria. At the feet of the armored men are four seated figures, labelledin ms.: Herodes, Sardanap., Holoffernes, Tarquinius.
Content: Binding, 16th century german, of vellum, gilt, with arms of Maximilian II on front cover and arms of Lower Austria and Austria, on one shield, on back cover. Possibly from the Augsburg workshop of Anton Ludwig.
