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A huge thank you to all who donated in 2025; 2026 Q1 Web hosting 0 / $400; planning a move to much cheaper hosting this quarter.
Galleries: index · 
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![[picture: Book cover, Ornamentik Der Renaissance (Vol. I.)]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament/tn/000-Front-Cover-q75-350x500.jpg "[picture: Book cover, Ornamentik Der Renaissance (Vol. I.)]")
Engravings from “Die Bücher-Ornamentik Der Renaissance” (Book-Ornament of the Renaissance) by A. F. Butsch, Leipzig, 1878. Alfred Butsch was a famous bookseller and a collecter of antiquarian books; the engraved plates in the book reproduce illustrations from early printed books.
I bought my copy of this book (actually Volume II hasn’t arrive yet!) from a bookseller in Germany; there is also a fac simile by Dover, but the reproduction is not of the highest quality, so these images are better, if very incomplete.
I also have Volume II.
Title: Die Bücher-Ornamentik Der Renaissance (Vol. I.)
Published by: Verlag von G. Hirth
City: Leipzig
Date: 1878
Total items: 48
Out of copyright (called public domain in the USA), hence royalty-free for all purposes usage credit requested, or as marked.
![[picture: 62l.---Initial capital letter ``L'' from Dance of Death Alphabet.]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament/wm/big/062-hans-holbein-1523-death-letter-l-q75-201x200.jpg "[picture: 62l.---Initial capital letter ``L'' from Dance of Death Alphabet.]")
62l.—Initial capital letter “L” from Dance of Death Alphabet.
This decorative initial letter “L”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. It features a skeleton, representing Death, standing on the left, [...] [more...] [$]
![[picture: Empty border with peasants and dragons]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament/wm/big/096-salomo-surround-q75-142x200.jpg "[picture: Empty border with peasants and dragons]")
Empty border with peasants and dragons
This full-page emoty border has an arched space for text. It’s a little crooked, but hey, it was made in the sixteenth century! [more...] [$]
![[picture: Printing press, detail from border]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament/wm/big/089-detail-printing-press-q75-124x200.jpg "[picture: Printing press, detail from border]")
Printing press, detail from border
This picture shows two young men working an early hand-operated printing-press. The nearer man is pulling the bar that turns the pole with a screw-thread which in turn presses down on the platen and forces the paper (not visible) into the inked type (also not visible, because it’s under the paper that’s in the press). The curly-haired young man or [...] [more...] [$]
![[picture: Decorative initial letter I]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament/wm/big/000-i-contents-initial-i-q75-200x200.jpg "[picture: Decorative initial letter I]")
![[picture: 62d.---Initial capital letter ``D'' from Dance of Death Alphabet]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament/wm/big/062-hans-holbein-1523-death-letter-d-q75-198x200.jpg "[picture: 62d.---Initial capital letter ``D'' from Dance of Death Alphabet]")
62d.—Initial capital letter “D” from Dance of Death Alphabet
This decorative initial letter “D”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. It features a king thrown to the ground and [...] [more...] [$]
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