Rare and attractive leaf with 6 beautifully hand-coloured woodcuts from one of the most famous Renaissance books on prodigies and extraordinary natural phenomena printed in Basel 1557. These early woodcuts depict several of the prodigies described in the text, including ominous celestial signs, a prophetic horse born with human-like forelegs, and violent storms causing widespread destruction, all interpreted by the Romans as portents of political upheaval, from the conspiracy of Catiline to the rise of Julius Caesar. The leaf originates from the celebrated Renaissance chronicle of wonders by Conrad Lycosthenes, Prodigiorum ac Ostentorum Chronicon (Basel, 1557) and draws on classical and medieval sources of its time such as Sebastian Münster, Conrad Gesner, Cardano and Paracelsus. The work reflects the Renaissance fascination with unusual natural phenomena, monsters, mythical creatures and other marvels of nature at the crossroads of early science, astrology and natural history. Dimensions: 26,5 x 18,5 cm Good condition, light signs of use. Attention for US buyers: Due to recent export problems higher shipping costs to the US apply!