This manuscript forms part of the many endeavors undertaken by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519) to further his legacy. Compiled by Bartholomaeus Freysleben, the Hauszeugmeister (imperial master of armaments), it describes the several imperial armories of the emperor, detailing the additions of modern artillery and weaponry that were made during Maximilian's reign. Underlining its purpose as a presentational work rather than a simple inventory, the manuscript was lavishly illuminated, with the involvement of the imperial court painter Jörg Kölderer (circa 1465–1540). The history of the manuscript is not known. It is possibly a copy of the original, which at some point in the 16th century came into the possession of the Free Imperial City of Ratisbon (present-day Regensburg). Although incomplete, it was bound and incorporated into the city library. In 1812 it was transferred from Regensburg to the Bavarian State Library.