Hunting Toil of Johann Reinhard’s (III) Duke of Hanau-Lichtenberg in Lower Alsace (Bischofsheim 1665 – Hanau 1736, Count, since 1696 Duke of H.-L., married to Dorothea Friderike of Brandenburg-Ansbach) with the frightening half-length portrait of a black face of a Turk under a mighty reddish brown turban with a stylized double heron’s feather (symbol of a Grand Vizier) in black on the one and a shield with a black lion under a curonet with five points and the monogram JRCDHL (Johann Reinhard Comes/Comte de Hanau Lichtenberg) on the other side. Hand-cloth-printing in reddish brown + black. On both sides dated with 1700 in black and reddish brown resp. 68 x 41 cm at obviously original 99.5 cm long thick rope.

with still quite topical reference to the threat of the West by the Turks starting 1591 (invasion by the pasha of Bosnia in Croatia) as trigger of also the Turk taxes collected particularly in Austria and at especially freshest remembrance of their youngest onset of 1683 (7-week siege of Vienna as a lasting shocking trembling) up to 1699 passed on not at last by motherly warnings and just also

basing upon the simple transfer of own frights on the game, what is culture-historically the more remarkably as only in 1715 with Malebranche that last cartesian relic left the world what adjudged the animal only a “solely automatic existence like a machine” (Ernst von Aster). Here then so the human Turk fright effective deeply into Central Europe seen likewise as a proved scarecrow of the hunting material as

“ in the closer sense the clothes, nets, and toils required for the arrangement of encircled huntings. One distinguishs: 1) Dazzle clothes which have the purpose to shrink back the game; to this effect belong … b) Cloth toils consisting of large toils of strong grey cloth about ½ m in the square fixed on top of a 150 step long rope thick as a finger on which are placed

the  monogram  of  the  hunting  lord ,

often  also  the  year  of  making

(as both then here) … One arranged these toils as freely as possible so they can be seen by the game already from afar on the lines over which it shall not flee away … Especially in windy weather the game is frightened away by the toils fluttering to and fro. But when it is very much disturbed, so it respects these no longer … After each use the hunting clothes must be well dried and overhauled. One keeps the same in special hunting cloth houses which are so installed that sufficient air can flue constantly therewith the clothes will not become foxing … “

(Meyers Convers.-Lex., 4^th ed., IX [1889], 127 f.).

Since the 12^th century the county Hanau was in the possession of the Masters of Hanau “who first resided on the no more existing castle Wachen=Buchen, later in Hagenowe, the present city H. After count Reinhard’s II death (1451), who in 1429 was appointed Imperial Count by Emperor Siegmund, his sons Reinhard III and Philipp divided the county H. in 1480, which was enlarged by the acquisition of the dominions Münzenberg (1255) and Lichtenberg in Alsace (1480). Thus the county H.=Münzenberg in the Wetterau and the dominion H.=Lichtenberg were formed.The latter consisted of the dominion Lichtenberg … and of a third of the (old) county H(anau).” (Meyers, op. cit. VIII, 63). Following old contracts of inheritance basing on family ties in 1713 after Philipp Reinhard’s death without successors H.-Mün(t)zenberg devolved upon his brother Johann Reinhard of H.-Lichtenberg. Both were appointed prince in 1696. After the death also of the latter, 1736, the parts were separated again.

So, aside from parts gone to France,

in whose line it remained up to 1793,

in consequence of the former marriage of Maria Elisabeth from the house Hanau-Münzenberg to landgrave Louis William of Hesse-Cassel. William VIII left the Hanau partial heir to his grandson William (IX), in 1785 it became incorporated finally completely in Hesse-Cassel.

In respect of

the condition is a very good one irrespectively of several thin places, but only isolated little holes as barely worth mentioning and color rubbings off mainly only in the heraldic lion remaining in limits. But in such a way together exemplary for orderly preservation during the times in the sense above. One half of the rope fixing renewed.

And far beyond its hunting core an

outspoken  most  topical  historic  and  cultural-historical  item  sui  generis

and therewith optically and palpably warning documenting the winged message of an angry give a slip. And regarding its painting surely not last still

source  name  of  other  “greenbacks”, too .

For “Paper as a medium of circulation has been used, indeed, already in old time in China and Carthago, but a wide-spread use of this followed only with the 18^th century” (Meyers, op. cit., XII, 680). Thus when the toil here hung already fix on the rope. And in contrast to so many of those younger “greenbacks” of the times its qualities since not only visibly remained, but still increased.
Offer no. 14,948  /  price on request

“ Yes please. I take that (further) copy.
I have now fetched the (last) parcel at the post office and I was very pleased. First of all: thank you for making so good parcel. I hate when I receive damaged copies because of bad envelopes. So once again: thank you very much for handling the items with such care! For me that is another word for seriousness and professionalism.
It was also a good copy and I liked it very much.
Please let me know if there is more items coming up ”

(Mrs. G. H., June 19, 2006)

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