Bible in Danish

Small 4to (6 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.; 160 x 114mm). 332 of 343 leaves, woodcut portraits by Georg Lemberger and Lucas Cranach the Elder, woodcut initials; title leaf, A2, A4, B4, Aa1–4, gg1, ss1 and ss4 in facsimile, fore-edges closely cropped on some leaves, some soiling. Seventeenth-century Danish calf, spine gilt in five compartments; some wear, spine rubbed.

Formatting the word of God 6.4; Darlow & Moule 3149

Condition as described in catalogue entry.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The first Bible to be printed in Denmark and the first to be printed in any Scandinavian language. The first Swedish New Testament did not appear until 1526. Although the colophon states that the Danish New Testament was printed in Leipzig, the printer, Melchior Lotter the Younger had in the years 1529–25 moved his printing shop from Leipzig to Wittenberg in order to work more closely with Martin Luther. The work was translated at the command of the exiled King Christian II of Denmark, a recent convert to Lutheranism, in order to win the support of Danish Protestants.

The translation of the Danish New Testament was the work of Christiern Vinter, Hans Mikkelsen, and Henrik Smith. The second part of this edition, beginning with Romans, is introduced by Cranach's woodcut arms and portrait of Christian II and Mikkelsen's letter to the Danish people urging them to support the King against the Catholics. These features caused the work to be banned in Denmark during the King's exile, and consequently these pages were removed from most copies, including the Ryrie copy. The Lutherans had trouble smuggling the New Testament into Denmark, and ultimately it failed to win support for the King, who soon found it politically expedient to revert to Catholicism.

Scarce. Only 41 copies of this New Testament are known to exist. Only one complete copy (and that a made-up copy in the Royal Library, Copenhagen) is known.