Summary

Gothic Design Techniques is the first English translation of the three design booklets by Mathes Roriczer, master mason and one of the fifteenth-century architects of Regensburg Cathedral, and the booklet by Hanns Schmutter­mayer, a fifteenth-century goldsmith of Nuremberg. These booklets, with their precise instructions accompanied by drawings graphically illustrating each step of the procedure, are an invaluable source of information about the build­ing of Gothic pinnacles, gablets, and windows.

Impeccably edited, the texts provide both a careful transcription of the original German and a literal English translation. In addition, Mr. Shelby has provided a comprehensive introduction placing the booklets in their historical context.