Item No: frk00710

Title:
A heart which Renounces World and Time (Ein Herz das Welt und Zeit verachtet)

Category:
Religious Text

Creators:
Decorator: Anonymous [Ephrata Cloister]
Scrivener: Anonymous [Ephrata Cloister]

Creation Place:
Town/Township: [Ephrata]
County: [Lancaster]
State/Province: [Pennsylvania]
Note: Based on design characteristics

Creation Date: ca. 1750

Physical Description: Leaf

Dimensions: 18 cm x 22 cm

Material: Laid paper; watercolor; ink

Media Type: Manuscripts

Watermark: Crown

Language: German

Scripts/Text: Fraktur

Notes:

Hand-drawn; hand-colored; hand-lettered. The text in Fraktur is in two columns along the sides of the document. Below it are two birds on branches. In the center of the document is a framed image of a bearded pilgrim with a walking stick. He is surrounded in the background by fields, trees and houses. A hand-colored bird is in one of the trees. The image is set upon a pedestal. The entire document is surrounded by a decorative frame.

The central panel of this drawing depicts a pilgrim, and is the only known manuscript broadside from the Ephrata Cloister of the 18th century to depict a human figure.

Transcription:

[left column]
Ein Hertz das \ Welt und Zeit veracht \ und lässt sein Gutes \ Sich aldorten werde \ der hat sehr glük= \ lich über nacht; \ Weil er gelebet \ Hier auf Erden. \ 

[right column]
Drum setz ich \ meine Reise an, \ zu holen ein \ was dort wird \ seyn zu hoffen: \ Am End der Rauhen Pilger= \ Bahn! \ Ist mir mein \ Ziel getroffen. \

Translation:

[left column]
A heart which renounces world and time and allows his good self to be here has much happiness tomorrow, because he lived here on earth. 

[right column]
Therefore I begin my journey to gather what is there to hope for. At the end of the rough pilgrim’s path my goal will be reached.

Provenance:
Henry S. Borneman

Bibliography:

Cynda L. Benson, Early American Illuminated Manuscripts from the Ephrata Cloister (Northampton, Mass.: Smith College Museum of Art, 1995); published as fig. 13.

Weiser Number: 278

Subjects:

• Animals
• Birds
• Fields (Meadows)
• Flowers
• Houses
• Men
• Pedestals
• Pilgrims
• Stars
• Sun
• Trees

Source:
Rare Book Department