Unknown Maker, German

These two woodcuts illustrate the first German publication of a series of animal fables that originated in India around 200 BCE. The original stories, often referred to as the Panchatantra, no longer exist in their first Sanskrit form, but they are known through countless translations, retellings, and adaptations that have emerged around the world since their initial appearance. This German version, published in 1483, attests to the impact of the newly invented printing press on the global spread of ideas during the late medieval period.