?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 300 - $ 400
Taufbrief: Engraved Baptismal Certificate or Godparent's Letter Christliche Erinnerung.
Waldenburg: Gottfried Hoffmann, [1771.]
Single square half-sheet printed typographically on one side with hand-colored engraved illustrations on the verso, fulfilled by hand with the name of the godparent inscribed on 4 January 1771; the sheet meant to be folded in thirds the long way, and then two additional folds bringing the ends to meet in the center, with engravings arranged to the correct orientation for this pattern of folding, with old folds, wear, remnants of sealing wax; five composite devotional images hand-colored in blue, red, yellow, green, and orange; 6 3/4 x 5 1/2 in. unfolded.
Rare, the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek in Weimar has two examples similar in format, date, printer; each is unique, as is the present example.
"It was customary in Germany for godparents to send their godchildren painted, handwritten, or printed good luck wishes on the occasion of their baptisms. These folded paper objects often contained small coins, and served as both a certificate of blessing and as religious instruction for young children: illustrated with scenes related to the meaning of baptism, they were preserved for the child's edification when he or she reached an appropriate age. In the 18th century printers developed a gamut of formats for these delightful paper-toy documents, which are now understandably rare." (cf. Taufenpatenbrief or Godparent's letter, 1781, published by the Graphic Arts Collection at the Firestone Library at Princeton: https://graphicarts.princeton.edu/2017/02/02/taufenpatenbrief-or-godparents-letter-1781/)
