(VELLUM PRINTING). DELILLE, JACQUESBiblio.com
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1805ST21016London: Printed by T. Bensley 1805. APPARENTLY THE ONLY COPY PRINTED ON VELLUM. 260 x 152 mm. 10 x 1/4 x 6". 2 p.l. 146 pp. 1 leaf notes. Translated by Maria Henrietta Montolieu. <br/> Very pleasing contemporary straight-grain scarlet morocco gilt by Charles Hering binder's ticket on verso of front flyleaf covers bordered with a wide frame of multiple patterned rolls with rosette cornerpieces enclosing a delicate frame of a dotted roll cornered small floral tools raised bands spine gilt in compartments wide turn-ins sumptuously gilt cream silk endleaves with gilt borders and fleuron cornerpieces all edges gilt. WITH EIGHT ENGRAVINGS BY FRANCESCO BARTOLOZZI IN TWO STATES one on gold silk and the second on paper. EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED with two engravings depicting Princess Izabela Czartoryska and her daughter Zofia. A Large Paper Copy. Henrey 624. See also Clemens Alexander Wimmer "The Princess and the Poles" Historic Gardens Review no. 10 2002: 14-17. Spine slightly darkened joints and edges with minor barely noticeable wear vellum a bit and naturally rumpled and consequently the book yawning a bit a handful of light spots but still an extremely appealing copy with fine impressions of the plates vast margins and a special story to tell.<br/> <br/> Printed on vellum richly bound and illustrated with attractive plates on silk this is an extraordinarily luxurious copy of Delille's famous poem on gardens that almost certainly belonged to a noblewoman whose gardens are mentioned in the text. First published in 1780 our poem condemns formal gardens and broad promenades in favor of a gardening art which hides its artistry by reproducing the asymmetrical groupings of nature and careless bounty of the countryside. This view accords with the translation of Virgil's "Georgics" done by Delille 1738-1813 in 1769 a version that brought him great acclaim for its supple and sonorous versification. In fact it so pleased the Count of Artois the future Charles X that he named Delille abbot of Saint-Séverin; however revolution disrupted things and the poet for a time led a wandering life in Switzerland Germany and England where this updated and expanded version of "Gardens" was published in 1801. The present special edition includes the plates which had appeared as head- and tailpieces in the first edition but now used as stand-alone plates in two states. These were executed by Bartolozzi after originals by Portuguese neoclassical painter Francisco Vieira. In addition to the called-for suite of illustrations our copy includes two inserted plates portraits of Princess Izabela Czartoryska 1745-1835 and her daughter Zofia. Czartoryska was a major figure in the Polish Enlightenment as a writer and patron of the arts as well as an advocate for improving the lives of the poor. She is best remembered for the sprawling gardens at her palace in Pu awy which included a formal garden a "wild promenade" or landscape park and multiple structures including the neoclassical Temple of the Sibyl which became one of Poland's first museums. She made the acquaintance of the author while travelling through Paris in 1791 and the two struck up a friendship. She financially backed the second edition of the work in exchange for a mention of her gardens which duly appears in heightened verse on pp. 11-13: "Favoured Pulhavi! You from Heaven obtain / Each separate charm Earth's choicest scenes contain; / Bright glow thy features fresh from Nature's hand / Excite our wonder and our praise command." The presence of this poetic tribute--and especially the inserted plates showing the princess and her daughter-- clearly suggest that the our apparently unique luxury edition must have been a presentation copy to Czartoryska herself. The present copy is as striking outside as it is inside. Charles Hering was the most distinguished and influential English binder of the first decade of the 19th century and although his career was brief from about 1795-1812 Ramsden focuses on his work as representing the transition in binding styles from those of the German émigrés of the late 18th century to the new generation of binders headed by Charles Lewis. Dibdin states that until "the star of Charles Lewis rose above the bibliopegistic horizon no one could presume to 'measure business' with Hering. There was a strength squareness and a good style of work about his volumes which rendered him deservedly a great favourite." We have been unable to trace any other copies of the present edition on vellum. Printed by T. Bensley unknown
ST20214Northern France perhaps Beauvais or Amiens late 13th or early 14th century. 286 x 199 mm. 11 1/4 x 7 3/4". Double column containing a mixture of staves and text approximately 21 lines in an excellent formal gothic book hand. <br/> Attractively matted. Rubrics in red chant text containing black penwork initials with red and yellow geometric elaboration BEAUTIFULLY ILLUMINATED with five two-line initials painted blue or pink with white tracery on a ground in the contrasting color two of the initials filled with grotesques and swirling vines and two with the filler design traced out but never completed each initial with blue and pink extensions terminating in orange leaves or spiky shapes; the verso featuring AN IMPRESSIVE SIX-LINE "N" 58 x 50 mm. in the same style filled with an intricate knotwork design and orange leaves with long extensions including a horizontal extension across the upper margin. Margins with light offsetting of the designs from the facing leaf; remnants of mounting tape on recto corners and bottom edge; verso apparently with a barely visible Medieval "14" in lower margin. An area measuring 5 mm. at edges just faintly yellowed from mat burn but IN FINE CONDITION the vellum otherwise quite bright the paint rich and the gold brightly glittering.<br/> <br/> This sumptuously decorated leaf--which is beautifully preserved and contains a particularly large and handsome initial--comes from the last volume of a three-volume Missal presented to Beauvais Cathedral by Canon Robert de Hangest d. 1356. The Missal remained at the cathedral at least through the 17th century when it is noted in an inventory but was removed from the church at some point likely in the aftermath of the French Revolution. The parent volume eventually entered the collection of Henri-Auguste Brölemann 1775-1854 of Lyon who passed it to his grand-daughter Etienne Mallet who then sold it at Sotheby's in 1926. It was then acquired for the collection of William Hearst where it remained for the next 25 years. In 1941 it was again sold at auction and subsequently dismembered. Though long thought to have been the work of famed biblioclast Otto Ege recent scholarship suggests that it was actually Phillip Duschnes who was responsible for breaking up the book keeping some leaves for himself and selling others on to his colleague Ege for inclusion in his portfolios of "Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts." The Beauvais Missal has been a subject of interest for many notable scholars chief among them being Christopher de Hamel--see: "Otto Ege and the Beauvais Missal" in "Gilding the Lilly: A Hundred Medieval and Illuminated Manuscripts in the Lilly Library" and it is currently the focus of a major effort to "reconstruct" the manuscript digitally--a project spearheaded by Lisa Fagin Davis. Other leaves from the parent volume are in the collections of the Morgan Library the Metropolitan Museum of Art the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Houghton Library at Harvard among many others. Although there is some dispute among art historians the illumination has been tentatively attributed to the artist of the Hours of Yolande of Soissons produced in Amiens ca. 1280 and now held by the Morgan Library MS M.729. It is worth noting that the town of Hangest home to the original owner is only 10 miles from Amiens and is a likely place of origin for the Missal. The present leaf contains a text for a major feast day and thus contains a large and extravagantly decorated initial for its opening "'Nunc scio vere." It is not too much to say that the decoration here is masterful but curiously--and of special interest to us from a modern perspective--the illuminators seem to have forgotten to put the finishing touches on the two smaller initials above which still contain sketches of the preliminary design. unknown
122865France possibly Maine or Anjou: c. 1480. Single leaf 162 mm x 110 mm. Slight fading in an old frame with metal fittings. A finely painted miniature with the use of gold modeling and the cloud of cherubim in the tradition pioneered by Jean Fouquet. § The Virgin and God seated on separate stools in a paneled room God placing a crown on her head a host of blue seraphim behind miniature in an arched compartment above the large initial and three lines of text opening of Compline within a full border of colored flowers and acanthus leaves in little rectangles with ground of liquid gold or pale blue or plain vellum. c. 1480. Single leaf hardcover books
1470ST19885Netherlands ca. 1470-80. 164 x 123 mm. 6 1/2 x 4 7/8". Single column 17 lines in a gothic hand. <br/> Capitals touched with red rubrics in red one-line initials in red or blue one two-line initial in blue A VERY LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL approximately 60 mm. square DEPICTING PENTECOST the initial painted blue with white tracery on a burnished gold ground surrounded by A FULL BORDER decorated with colorful acanthus large flowers strawberries insects including a grasshopper fly moth and mosquito all on a liquid gold ground. See: Marrow et al. "The Golden Age of Dutch Manuscript Illumination" nos. 79-81. ◆Margins just faintly soiled gold very slightly rubbed but IN FINE CONDITION the initial and border beautifully preserved.<br/> <br/> This is an extraordinarily handsome leaf featuring an oversized historiated initial depicting Pentecost attributed to the circle of the Master of the London Jason. Our artist has made remarkable use of space fitting 13 clearly defined people within an initial opening measuring 45 x 32 mm. The Virgin sits enthroned directly in the center encircled by the Apostles dressed in blue violet green and orange robes. Our artist cleverly adds a notch at the top of initial--like a cupola inside a chapel--in order to fit an image of a dove inside the scene. The figures show an impressive degree of individualization and emotional response as they witness the descent of the Holy Spirit; a few gesture in surprise two lower their gaze and some look up in awe. The work is stylistically like that of the Master of the London Jason named for his work on the "Historie van Jason" manuscript now housed at the British Library. As Marrow et al. note the Master's style is characterized by "somewhat short heavy figures that are well formed and have unusual slightly broad yet expressive faces with deep sunken eyes." Our leaf's enclosing border is of very considerable interest featuring as it does naturalistic flowers strawberry plants insects and a small brightly colored bird all painted in colors that perfectly complement the main scene. A very fine production all around this distinctive energetic leaf would make a notable addition to any collection. unknown
ST17235Probably France or Rhineland 10th century. Irregularly shaped but approximately 298 x 225 mm. 11 3/4 x 8 7/8". Single column 33 lines on recto and 29 on verso in a neat Caroline minuscule. <br/> Rubrics in red nine two-line initials in red and/or brown one with a light yellow wash and feathered extender one with feathered ascender. ◆Recovered from a binding with the verso consequently somewhat soiled and with a vertical crease obscuring a letter or two on each line a little loss of blank vellum margin but no text lost other light stains and imperfections as expected but still in remarkably good condition the text almost entirely legible and the recto still generally quite pleasing.<br/> <br/> Written in an attractive and highly legible Caroline minuscule this early leaf is desirable not only for its age and script but also for the many initials opening each separate prayer. Inked in brown and orange and sometimes tinged with yellow these initials are reminiscent of those found in the Gellone Sacramentary BNF Latin 12048 an eighth century manuscript with extraordinarily inventive designs incorporating animals knotwork and a multitude of patterns and favoring a color palette of green orange yellow and brown. Although the present examples are simpler in their execution we can see similar tendencies in terms of colors and shapes--especially in the winged designs on two of the initials here. The smaller "S" residing in the larger "D" initial on the recto signifying the word "Deus" is a feature that can also be seen in the Gellone Sacramentary for example on f. 7r. The text here probably comes from a Sacramentary a type of manuscript containing only the words said by a priest or bishop rather than the congregant during Mass and other liturgical services or possibly a Rituale containing the services not included in the Missal or Pontifical. The text on this particular leaf includes blessings for trees. Though recovered from a binding the damage on this leaf is far less severe than is often encountered with such specimens; the text on both sides is intact all but a few letters are entirely legible the margins are quite generous and the initials have been well preserved. unknown
1441ST19880Italy Ferrara 1441-48. Visible leaf: 245 x 187 mm. 9 5/8 x 7 3/8"; Frame: 380 x 315 mm. 15 x 12 1/4". Double column 30 lines in a very fine rounded gothic hand a few lines of text in the same hand but smaller. <br/> Mounted and in a simple but pleasing gold frame. Visible side with rubrics in red one-line initials in burnished gold or painted blue one two-line initial in burnished gold on a pale pink ground with white tracery a lovely illuminated bar between the columns with a central plant knot AND SPROUTING IN UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS CLUSTERS OF FLOWERS AND LEAVES IN VARIOUS COLORS AS WELL AS GOLD BEZANTS outer margin with swirling penwork studded with gilt bezants running the length of the column each penwork swirl enclosing a painted and gilt flower with ONE FIVE-LINE HISTORIATED INITIAL DEPICTING ST. PAUL HOLDING A SWORD AND BOOK the initial painted pink with green leaves and a blue and green acanthus extension on a gilt ground. ◆Not examined outside of frame but in very fine condition: vellum slightly wavy text in the bottom margin just a bit faded but by all appearances A VERY CLEAN BRIGHT LEAF SPARKLING WITH GILT.<br/> <br/> Executed with great skill and delicacy and in sensitive Italianate colors highlighted especially by spring green and pink the present leaf is from a manuscript intended for a powerful aristocrat. It comes from the celebrated Breviary illuminated for the chapel of the Marquises of Este rulers of Ferrara and Mantua a manuscript commissioned by Leonello d'Este duke of Ferrara from 1441-50. Because the d'Este family kept excellent records we have confidence that this manuscript was done for Leonello by Giorgio d'Alemagna Bartolomeo de Benincà Guglielmo Giraldi and Matteo de' Pasti see Toniolo "La Miniatura a Ferrara dal Tempo di Cosmè Tura all'eredità di Ercole de' Roberti" 1998 pp. 19-20 and 76-77. The leaves show subtle variations in the style of the illuminations a result of work done by a team of artists doing variations on a theme. At one time in a Spanish library the manuscript was brought to Britain during the Peninsular War and came to be owned by the Rolls family later Lords Llangattock of Monmouth in Wales from whom it takes its name. By the time the work reached Britain most of the miniatures had already been cut out. The Breviary sold at Christie's on 8 December 1958 lot #190 to Goodspeed's of Boston who broke it up. The intact first quire of 10 leaves was purchased by Philip Hofer and given to Harvard cf. Wieck "Late Medieval and Renaissance Illuminated Manuscripts" p. 130 and fig. 74 and individual leaves appeared in 1967 in the catalogues of Folio Fine Art "the quality of the leaves is extremely high" Maggs Brothers "of a very high quality" and Alan Thomas "of exquisite quality". The present example is especially desirable for the portrait of St. Paul who is depicted holding a sword and book and whose carefully molded features reflect the growing interest in realistic portraiture in Renaissance Italy. unknown
1967013366Genève Claude Givaudan 1967 In-8 Broché, étui de l'éditeur Ed. originale
1915ST17129-042Chicago: Written and Illuminated for The Renaissance Society ca. 1915. 216 x 153 mm. 8 1/2 x 6". ii 28 pp. 1 leaf colophon. Single column 18 lines in an attractive calligraphic hand. <br/> VERY PRETTY VIOLET CRUSHED MOROCCO GILT AND INLAID for The Renaissance Society stamp-signed in gilt on front doublure smooth spine with gilt titling FULL MOROCCO DOUBLURES consisting of a green morocco panel framed by purple morocco with gilt dots and scrolling floral motifs at each corner each with an inlaid white morocco flower cream-colored watered silk endleaves. In a lavender buckram chemise and matching purple morocco-backed slipcase with raised bands and gilt lettering. With many one-line initials in pink each leaf with a different two- to four-line initial in a different style with both painted and gilt elements and exuberantly decorated most leaves with a panel or "L"-shaped border ranging from simple lines to elaborate decorative bars a few borders with small landscapes and a total of FOUR FIGURAL SCENES decorative title page with colorful initials lettering and decorative flourishes text beginning with A HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF ST. JEROME AT HIS DESK surrounded by A FULL BORDER of flowers gilt detailing and stylized heads of putti all by Louis Bauhan. Front free endpaper with bookplate of Phoebe Boyle. Leather with a slight chalky appearance silk endleaves starting to fray at fore edge a few leaves with a hint of waviness but THE MANUSCRIPT IN BEAUTIFUL CONDITION the vellum entirely clean and the paint especially bright and fresh.<br/> <br/> Exuberantly decorated by a major illustrator of the period this manuscript was commissioned and bound for The Renaissance Society of Chicago before making its way into the superb collection of American bibliophile Phoebe Boyle. The text here comes from a poem by "Atlantic Monthly" writer and editor Thomas Bailey Aldrich 1836-1907 imagining the agony and the ecstasy of St. Jerome as he sat down to write his translation of the Bible. The illumination though certainly inspired by the decorative programs of Medieval manuscripts is decidedly modern in appearance drawing on the Art Nouveau movement and utilizing bold color combinations and whimsical design motifs. It is not clear why the illustrator here Louis Bauhan 1855-1941 has used the ananym "Siuol Na-Huab" because there is no reason to hide responsibility for producing the clean elegant script the imaginative marginal decoration and the finished human and animal images that enliven the manuscript. Bauhan was a very successful painter and illustrator perhaps best known to the public as art editor of "Cosmopolitan Magazine" under John Brisben Walker who edited and published the magazine from 1889 to 1905. In 1881 Bauhan helped to found the Kit-Kat Club of New York a bohemian artists' and cultural association; he was persistently in demand as a book illustrator; and among other things he painted landscapes and portraits in oil. The colophon here states that the manuscript was written and illuminated for The Renaissance Society--an artistic group associated with the University of Chicago whose mission was to cultivate and promote modern art--and it was given an appropriately luxurious binding by the same organization. The manuscript was obviously valued highly enough to join the collection of Phoebe A. D. Boyle a client George Sutcliffe described as "rivalling the Medici in her patronage of the production of beautiful books." Shepherd "The Cinderella of the Arts" p. 63 Stephen Ratcliffe describes the Boyle collection as "unrivalled" for its jewelled bindings and modern illuminated manuscripts and any book from the Boyle collection which was put together with the greatest taste and discrimination is recognized as desirable beyond its intrinsic literary merit. Written and Illuminated for The Renaissance Society unknown
1939ST17129-020Wimbledon Surrey September 1939. 373 x 255 mm. 14 3/4 x 10". 12 vellum leaves seven with text and illuminations. Single column approximately 30 lines in a fine calligraphic hand. <br/> Attractive contemporary dark blue crushed morocco covers with gilt and blind rules raised bands with gilt rules gilt-ruled turn-ins vellum pastedowns. Text in blue black green and red a few lines with larger lettering in gilt several two-line initials in colored ink five two-line initials in red or blue with floral decorations opening pages with eight two-line initials in gold the lines here of a larger size than rest of text six three-line initials in gold filled and surrounded by floral decoration three four- to six-line gilt initials with more intricate floral decorations one of these with gilt stippling and two surrounded by a gilt frame and ONE VERY LARGE 80 x 45 mm GILT "B" decorated with stippling filled with two-tone green leaves pink flowers and large gold bezants. First leaf with ink inscription "Presented by Dr. W J Pearson / in appreciation of the work of / Ashridge Hospital 1939-1946"; two silk guards. Boards with a hint of soiling but A BEAUTIFUL MANUSCRIPT IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION the paint lovely and bright and the gold sparkling.<br/> <br/> This beautifully executed manuscript by a notable female calligrapher and illuminator features the oft-quoted and much-loved biblical text known as the "Sermon on the Mount" in which Matthew relates various moral teachings attributed to Christ. The text is written in an extremely pleasing and regular upright script throughout but the first opening listing the nine Beatitudes in capital letters is especially striking. Opening with the largest and most attractive initial in the manuscript it begins with "Blessed are the poor in spirit" in prominent gilt lettering; this is followed by the other blessings each beginning with a smaller gilt "B" initial written entirely in blue capital letters. The rest of the text penned primarily in black ink but accented with cheerful gilt initials and occasional colored lettering exudes a sense of order and simple elegance befitting the contents. Illuminator and calligrapher Violet Wilson was born in Wimbledon in 1902. She studied calligraphy under Claire G. M. Evans who had been a pupil of Graily Hewitt known for his work with the Ashendene Press and one of the principal British calligraphers and teachers of lettering in the first half of the 20th century. Wilson became a member of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators in the U.K. in the 1930s. The San Francisco Public Library has examples of her work in its Harrison Collection of Calligraphy and another illuminated copy of the "Sermon on the Mount" made in 1957 was included in the Baltimore Art Museum's 1965 exhibition and catalogue titled "Two Thousand Years of Calligraphy." The catalogue entry no. 213 notes that Wilson preferred to work on books and decorative maps and exhibited her work in many countries. According to the presentation inscription in the present work this manuscript was given to Ashridge Hospital--formerly a monastery and royal residence--by the distinguished physician Dr. Wilfred John Pearson 1884-1957 who had headed one of the London sectors of the Emergency Medical Service during World War II. His obituary in the "British Medical Journal" declared him "one of the striking figures of his time.". unknown
ST17236Germany mid- to late 12th century. 290 x 217 mm. 11 3/8 x 8 1/2". Single column 21 lines in an attractive proto-gothic book hand. <br/> Rubrics in red several one-line initials in red five red initials measuring two to four lines long and with penwork embellishment A LOVELY SEVEN-LINE WHITE-VINE INITIAL outlined in red and with a pale yellow wash along the edge the lower half of the ground filled with green wash. Lower margins with notations in later Medieval hands. ◆A handful of original holes in the vellum no doubt from stretching the skin during processing with the scribe writing around the flaws where necessary a little soiling to lower outside corner one or two negligible spots otherwise IN FINE CONDITION the ink unusually rich and the paint very bright.<br/> <br/> From a Sacramentary a service book that contained the prayers said during Mass subsumed by the Missal in the 13th century this early leaf was once part of an attractive manuscript of very high quality. The very large and superb "F" opens the Mass for the Feast of the Assumption and the other readings here include Masses for Sts. Hippolytus and Cassian celebrated on 13 August; St. Eusabius 14 August; Vigil of the Assumption of the Virgin 14 August; Assumption of the Virgin 15 August; St. Agapitus 18 August; and the beginning of the Mass for Sts. Timothy Hippolytus and Symphorian 22 August. Sister leaves from this same manuscript have previously appeared in Sam Fogg Cat. 16 "Text Manuscripts and Documents 2200BC to 1600AD" 1995 nos. 30 and 31; Maggs Bros. European Bulletin 20 1995 no. 37; Quaritch Cat. 1270 "Bookhands of the Middle Ages VI" 2000 nos. 69 and 70; Sotheby's 6 December 2001 lot 8; and Bloomsbury 6 December 2017 lot 16. The Fogg description notes that similar initials can be seen in French German and Flemish manuscripts of the period "but very few manuscripts have the special characteristics of this one." For example the initials on the sister leaves described by Fogg contain atypically mauve and green as well as an "unusual . . . exterior contoured ground which is not confined by any geometric form." This means there is no line or shape to box in or define the capital's form; rather it appears as if surrounded by an aura or gentle shadow. Our initial contains a green ground only no mauve but the same unusual and attractive yellow aura. It is rare to find Romanesque leaves of this size and caliber in such fine condition and the present leaf with its beautiful regular proto-gothic hand exceptional white-vine initial and several large decorative initials in red is especially desirable. unknown
107057Britanny: c. 1430. 7.8†x 5.6â€. Illuminated leaf on vellum from a Book of Hours with two large miniatures of St. Nicholas blessing the three children in the pickling tub and of St. Sebastian tied to a pillar in a mountainous landscape while two archers shoot arrows at him in strong color and burnished gold. In good condition. § On the recto St. Nicolas is shown standing on a grassy field holding a crozier against a red decorated wall while the three naked boys stand up in the tub and on the verso St. Sebastian is tied to a post bleeding and pierced with arrows shot at close range. Six initials one-line to three-line illuminated in gold and colours line-fillers; on either side of page panel borders composed of burnished gold leaves on hair-line stems with sprays of colored leaves in center of panel.Unusual and attractive miniatures painted in strong colors in the style which spread the Roham Master westwards from Paris into Rennes and elsewhere in Britanny in the 1420’s and 1430’s. c. 1430. 7.8†x 5.6â€. Illuminated leaf on vellum hardcover books
1907ST16456Birmingham 1907. 312 x 275 mm. 12 3/8 x 10 3/4". 16 leaves illuminated on rectos only. <br/> Pleasing original full vellum over bevelled boards covers ruled in gilt and with gilt crosses in each corner gilt lettering on upper cover smooth spine gilt rules dividing compartments with central gilt cross thick vellum turn-ins ruled in gilt bright purple silk endpapers front joint very expertly repaired. Calligraphic lettering mostly in black green and red a few one-line initials and many three-line initials in blue or purple with red penwork several slightly larger purple or blue initials infilled with ivy of various colors and dotted with gold EACH PAGE WITH A DIFFERENT ARTS & CRAFTS-INSPIRED FLORAL BORDER consisting of multi-colored blossoms and acanthus as well as meandering vine-stems and highlighted with gold bezants or stippled gold ONE LEAF WITH A 90 MM. INITIAL INHABITED BY A REALISTIC CATHEDRAL INTERIOR the large lettering below it on a gold ground with etched patterns and painted purple ivy leaves the text and the initial surrounded by pink roses green leaves and thorny vines. ◆Corners a bit bumped vellum with a few shallow scratches slightly soiled in a few places other minor signs of use but the binding still quite clean and attractive; perhaps a hint of thumb-soiling to margins of a couple leaves but the contents in nearly perfect condition.<br/> <br/> This is a beautiful and engaging manuscript with imaginative illuminations by the little-known but extremely talented illuminator calligrapher and cartographer Ernest Costain Clegg 1876-1954. The text here reproduces the Great Litany of the Church of England derived from the Book of Common Prayer and composed of short divine petitions. Each leaf contains a different and unique border featuring stylized floral motifs often with curving vines encircling the text and a cheerful color palette consisting of clear pastels that beautifully offset the darker inks used in the text. The generous use of gold on the first leaf of text and gilt details throughout the borders provide a dimension of luxury without overshadowing the prayers themselves. Clegg draws on the Medieval tradition of manuscript illumination but this work also shows the influence of the Arts & Crafts movement of the 19th century especially in the beautiful initial inhabited by a realistic Cathedral interior pierced with light--a feature that invites comparison with the superlative work of Alberto Sangorski. But Clegg's reliance on a variety of floral decoration in his borders makes this manuscript more feminine than the typical work of Sangorski. Ernest Clegg entered the military in his early twenties serving in the Boer War 1899-1902 then returned to England to train at the Birmingham School of Art. In 1909 he went to work for Tiffany's of New York as a jewelry designer. Clegg also served in the English forces during the First World War; afterwards in America his popularity in the veteran community led to more commissions and a thriving artistic career. Clegg is perhaps best known for illustrating the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by John McCrae but he also found success as a cartographer producing among other works a well-known map of Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic in 1927. unknown
ST19540bSouthern Netherlands Bruges third quarter of 15th century. Matted leaf: 150 x 150 mm. 5 7/8 x 4 3/8". Frame: 307 x 258 mm. 12 x 10 1/4". Single column with four lines below the miniature and the obverse with 17 lines in a batarde hand. <br/> Attractively matted and framed the leaf slightly shifted in the mat revealing top and side edges but in no danger of damage. Rubrics in red four one-line initials and three three-line initials all but one in burnished gold on blue and red ground with white tracery the initial beneath the miniature painted pink on a burnished gold ground and filled with painted ivy vines AN ARCH-TOPPED LARGE MINIATURE DEPICTING THE ENTOMBMENT the body of Christ surrounded by seven other people depicted in an outdoor setting with the turrets of a walled city in the background the miniature in a double frame of gold and pink surrounded by A FULL BORDER composed of hairline vines acanthus colorful flowers and gilt bezants and inhabited by a small bird. Minor soiling and a faint thumb print to borders but IN VERY FINE CONDITION THE MINIATURE BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED.<br/> <br/> This is a beautifully rendered and deeply touching scene depicting the entombment of the crucified Christ and the pathos experienced by those at his side. Holding the sheet on which the body is lowered into the sarcophagus are on the far left the richly clothed Joseph of Arimathea and on the far right Nicodemus who dons an especially lovely yellow garment with delicate embroidery. Between the two men in the foreground but behind the body are the Virgin Mary who presses the hand of her deceased son to her lips; John the Evangelist whose body is turned toward the Virgin in a gesture of support but whose gaze is focused on the Savior; and Mary Magdalene who holds a small ointment jar. Two other women with halos stand closely behind them consoling one another. The artist has done a masterful job at creating a composition that captures the emotional gravity of the scene: Christ's body gently cradled in a white sheet is on full display with blood still trickling from the wounds on his head and side. Despite there being seven people crowded around him our attention is drawn to the action between Christ and the Virgin who gently grasps his hand with motherly affection and bids him a final farewell. Flickers of different emotions appear on the faces of his followers including pity sorrow stoicism and disbelief--echoing perhaps the viewer's own range of feelings upon viewing this image. The level of detail excellence of composition care seen in the molded bodies and faces and the convincing setting suggest that the artist was quite practiced and that the original manuscript from which the leaf comes was of very high quality. unknown
ST17060VFrance probably Besançon 3rd quarter of 15th century. 239 x 165 mm. 9 3/8 x 6 1/2". Single column 15 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. <br/> Rubrics in dark pink line-enders in dark pink and blue with a gilt bezant several one-line initials in burnished gold on dark pink and blue ground with white tracery one three-line initial in blue with white tracery filled with flowers painted pink or blue all on a gold ground verso with panel border of delicate hairline vines terminating in gilt bezants and ivy and with a spray of blue flowers and a red bud recto with A FULLY-REALIZED HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF A BURIAL in an arch-topped gilt frame with two laymen lowering a shrouded corpse into the ground a small group of hooded monks to the left and two ecclesiastical figures reading from a book to the right all in front of a gothic church painted pink with a blue roof SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER consisting of hairline vines terminating in gold bezants and ivy colorful acanthus strawberries and blue flowers the text below the miniature further framed with a thin "U"-shaped line extending the full height of the miniature. A very few trivial imperfections quite minor wear to paint on clothing a little insignificant smudging one small light stain in the blank margin of verso but these defects not the least distracting and overall the miniature in fine condition with rich well-preserved color.<br/> <br/> This is a splendid miniature from a particularly large Book of Hours showing a detailed rendering of a scene from contemporary Medieval life--that of a burial in a churchyard involving clergy mourners and laymen. Apart from those relatively few copies with illustrated calendars the miniatures found in Books of Hours are almost entirely devoted to retrospective Bible scenes that are obviously outside the experience of the illuminator; it is only in the present kind of scene at the beginning of the Office of the Dead that we can see a contemporaneous image that would have come directly from the Medieval experience. While our painting is fairly typical in subject matter and design it offers a number of interesting details about the Medieval rites and rituals surrounding death. The present scene represents the final stage preceded by the funeral procession Requiem Mass prayers Absolution and the procession into the graveyard in which the body is actually laid to rest in the ground. Though the corpse would have been encased in a coffin during the aforementioned rites and processions it was customary to bury the dead in only a shroud in the present example the artist has even thought to show the stitching along the length of the shroud. Three groups of people each serving a different function appear in this miniature: in the foreground are two laborers lowering the body into an earthen grave a small group of mourners in black cloaks stand off to the left and a duo of clergy members stand to the right. The latter have tonsured heads and each wears a black cope donned prior to administering Absolution to the deceased; together they hold a manuscript containing the Rites for Burial. The background is composed of a grand church or cathedral containing a number of fine architectural details including several windows including a clerestory level an arched entrance a dome and decorative touches. Stylistically this leaf can be localized to the Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is closely related if not directly attributable to an atelier specializing in Books of Hours made for the Use of Besançon and most likely situated in that city see Avril and Reynaud p. 197. The similarities are especially apparent in the figures' faces which are slightly puffy in appearance and have distinct slit-like eyes. As noted by Avril and Reynaud the unnamed master of this atelier was deeply indebted to the Master of Morgan 293 a talented Burgundian illuminator active in the second quarter of the 15th century whose name derives from a particularly lovely Book of Hours made for the Use of Besançon. Whoever the artist responsible for the present miniature this work is an excellent representation of a distinct regional style extremely attractive and replete with interesting details that connect us to the Medieval experience. unknown
ST17060ZFrance probably Besançon 3rd quarter of 15th century. 239 x 165 mm. 9 3/8 x 6 1/2". Single column 15 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. <br/> Rubrics in dark pink line-enders in dark pink and blue highlighted with a gilt bezant several one-line initials and one two-line initial in burnished gold on dark pink and blue ground with white tracery one three-line initial in pink with white tracery filled with trefoils painted red or blue all on a gold ground verso with panel border of delicate hairline vines terminating in gilt bezants and ivy and with acanthus and flowers recto with A HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF THE CRUCIFIXION in an arch-topped gilt frame Christ in the center of the composition with the mocking inscription "I N R I" "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" on a banner above him the Virgin standing on the left and St. John on the right the landscape behind them filled with hills and trees under a tessellated sky SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER consisting of hairline vines terminating in gold bezants and ivy colorful acanthus strawberries and flowers the text and image further framed by a "U"-shaped bar of gold pink and blue extending the full height of the miniature. ◆Virgin's robe a little mottled and chipped minor chipping elsewhere borders with slight smudging to some of the hairline vines small marginal stain but in all in excellent condition with wide margins with the colors very bright and the miniature well preserved.<br/> <br/> Opening the Hours of the Cross a shorter text that is sometimes found in addition to the Hours of the Virgin this touching miniature of the Crucifixion is richly painted and features a particularly emotional depiction of Christ his head slightly bowed with an expression of pain. Blood flows freely from his wounds partly merging with the orange in the sky and partly forming rivulets at the base of the cross. This exsanguination stands in contrast to the more typically restrained indications in other Crucifixion scenes and serves to emphasize the cruel suffering of the execution. His mother stands to the left in a blue cloak hands knitted together and with a look of weary resignation on her face; to the right stands St. John whose lips are slightly parted as he looks directly at the crucified Christ as if searching his face for signs of life. Our artist has made an unusual choice for the background with the lower two thirds devoted to a naturalistic landscape with many hills and trees and the sky entirely tessellated with squares of red blue and gold. While the Virgin and St. John are both firmly situated within the earthy realm the body of Christ occupies both spaces perhaps emphasizing his dual nature as both human and divine. Stylistically this leaf can be localized to the Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is closely related if not directly attributable to an atelier specializing in Books of Hours made for the Use of Besançon and most likely situated in that city see Avril and Reynaud p. 197. The similarities are especially apparent in the figures' faces which are slightly puffy in appearance and have distinct slit-like eyes. As noted by Avril and Reynaud the unnamed master of this atelier was deeply indebted to the Master of Morgan 293 a talented Burgundian illuminator active in the second quarter of the 15th century whose name derives from a particularly lovely Book of Hours made for the Use of Besançon. In fact there are certain consonant details between this miniature and the Crucifixion in the Morgan manuscript: Christ's position and physicality are nearly identical as is the pattern of blood as it moves down the cross and both artists create a division in the landscape with the Morgan artist using gold rather than tessellation for his sky. Whoever the artist responsible for the present miniature the work here is clearly accomplished both quietly powerful and an excellent representation of a distinct regional style. unknown
1540ST20622Germany ca. 1540. 183 x 133 mm. 7 1/8 x 5 1/4". <br/> WITH A FULL-PAGE MINIATURE DEPICTING THE HARROWING OF HELL featuring a naked Adam and Eve on the left and on the right Christ bending down to rescue John the Baptist the figures framed by a stone archway supporting a hairy creature who aims the point of a spear directly at Adam and Eve the miniature in a thin brown frame with gilt lines surrounded on two sides by the words "VERBUM DOMINI MANET IN ETERNUM" in gilt all framed in gray and red washes with double rules of black and gilt. Light soiling to frame a little flaking to the gray border and a couple of small scuffs and smudges elsewhere verso with spotting but the miniature vibrant and well preserved with only very trivial imperfections.<br/> <br/> A close copy of an early 16th century engraving by Albrecht Dürer this powerful miniature depicting the Harrowing of Hell is an intriguing artifact that ties together manuscript art print culture and the Reformation. The image depicts an apocryphal tale in the Gospel of Nicodemus in which Christ following his death but before his Resurrection descends into Limbo in order to save righteous souls who had passed away before him particularly figures from the Old Testament. Christ appears here in pale pink robes carrying a long staff with a cross and banner adorning the top. Having just brought down the gates of Hell he stoops to rescue John the Baptist here dressed in furs from its depths. A naked Adam and Eve covering their loins stand at the left of the composition--Adam now a gray-bearded old man as a reflection of sin and mortality but Eve still as she was at the Expulsion in keeping with the period's inclination to retain the classically idealized youthful feminine form. Above them is a stone arch upon which a dog-like demon perches stealthily aiming a spear directly at the oblivious couple. Another demon snaps its jaws at the feet of Christ and we can see a lick of flames below the broken gate as more captive souls clamor to escape. The painting is skillfully done showing the artist's facility with anatomy proportion and foreshortening. The bodies of Adam and Eve are particularly excellent with lovely skin tones and convincing molding. The composition is clearly based on an engraving by Dürer published in 1513 as part of a major series of 16 images known as the "Engraved Passion." In translating a black & white print into a full-color painting the artist here dispensed with a few details seen in Dürer's work such as the shadowy figure behind Adam and Eve and the stigmata on Christ's hand; however the overall composition deviates little from the original suggesting that the artist may have been working from an actual engraving. Although this leaf contains just a few words in the form of a border inscription--"Verbum Domini manet eternum" "the Word of the Lord endures forever"--they are monumentally important. This line from Isaiah 40:8 and 1 Peter 1:25 became the motto of the Lutheran Reformation appearing on art clothing coins and even armor of the 16th century. The Schmalkaldic League an influential group of allied Lutheran principalities in the Holy Roman Empire at the time also adopted it as their motto. Given the dominance of print materials during the Reformation period our hand-painted miniature--possibly produced as a frontispiece--must have been a very special commission. It is also an object that is prime for further study touching on aspects of book production religious art and the transmission of images and ideas in the early modern period. unknown
1626ST19298Antwerp: M. Snyders 1626. FIRST EDITION. 135 x 82 mm. 5 1/4 x 3 1/4". 39 of 40 leaves lacking C4. Two volumes one as issued the other a companion volume containing related plates without any title page. <br/> Very pretty late 18th or early 19th century red morocco covers bordered by delicate cresting roll with leaf cornerpieces smooth spine gilt in compartments with leafy centerpieces gilt lettering turn-in with gilt floral roll pale blue watered silk endleaves all edges gilt. Supplemental volume in late 19th century red half morocco over red paper boards similarly tooled spine. Housed together in a custom-made modern wooden box with sliding panel closure a heart mosaic in multi-colored hard-grain leather on its sides. Amoris Divini WITH engraved title page and 38 of 39; lacking plate XXXIV ENGRAVED PLATES 35 OF THEM ON VELLUM ALL DELICATELY COLORED AND HEIGHTENED IN GOLD plates 19 29 30 31 and 36 bound after text pages for plates 31 36 29 30 and 34 respectively; second volume with 45 plates on paper though without any text including many of these same emblems apparently from a later edition of this work ALL DAINTILY HIGHLIGHTED WITH GILT. Front pastedown of first volume with monogram book label in colors and gilt verso of front free endpaper with oval armorial bookplate "Ex Museo Van Der Helle" see below. De Vries "De Nederlandsche Emblemata" 121; Landwehr "Low Countries" 33; Praz p. 254; Brunet I 240 this copy; Delbergue-Cormont "Bibliothèque de M. Van der Helle" Paris 10 Février 1868 lot 69 this copy. Amoris spine very slightly dulled occasional hints of marginal thumbing but A LOVELY COPY clean and fresh internally with rich colors and glistening gold in a well-preserved binding; supplemental plates with faint marginal browning but excellent internally the engravings gently shimmering with gold and the binding with few signs of wear.<br/> <br/> The main volume here comprises a collection of emblems illustrating concepts of human and divine love; it is made all the more special by being printed on vellum beautifully hand colored and then delicately highlighted with gold. The emblems depict Divine Love as a beardless young man with nimbus who always represents love in its purest form. Human love or worldly love is variously embodied in a winged Cupid sometimes blindfolded who represents erotic love and who is accompanied by symbols of treasure or power that represent worldly desires. Landwehr Praz and De Vries make no mention of a vellum edition but Brunet describes one copy on vellum painted in colors and gold which he says sold at the Duriez auction. That book appeared as lot 3216 in "Catalogue des livres imprimés et manuscrits composant la bibliothèque de feu M. L.-M.-J. Duriez de Lille membre de la Société des Bibliophiles français" Paris J.-S. Merlin 1827 where its binding description matches our copy. Having uncovered no other hand-colored copies on vellum in auction records or in OCLC we think it quite likely that the present volume is in fact the Duriez copy. Louis Duriez 1753-1825 was a Lille lawyer of sufficient skill and cleverness to move without incident from serving as lieutenant provost for his district under King Louis XVI to becoming receiver of the district of Lille after the revolution 1791 and purchasing the estate of an aristocrat which had been seized by the state. He rose to successively more important and remunerative governmental positions and was named Knight of the Royal Order of the Legion of Honor in 1814. In 1820 he was one of the founding members of the Société des Bibliophiles français an elite group limited to 24 scholarly collectors. After his death his collection of more than 5000 carefully chosen works was dispersed at 59 auctions held between 22 January and 1 April 1828 at Maison Silvestre in Paris. A perusal of the lots on offer finds a strong emphasis on fine bindings works on vellum and illustrated books many noting hand coloring. The emblems in the second thinner book here on paper without coloring--but with gold highlighting allow the reader to experience the pleasure to be found in comparing the degrees of decoration and opulence of the two volumes. These illustrations likely come from one of the later printings of this title each of which added new emblems to the original 39 called for in Landwehr and Praz. It is not clear when or by whom this second volume was wedded to the first. After its presumed residence in the Duriez collection our copy of the 1626 edition and perhaps its sidecar volume moved to another distinguished library--that formed by the scholarly and erudite French collector M. Van Der Helle of Lille who amassed a collection particularly rich in illustrated books and works on vellum. In the catalogue for the sale of his library in 1868 Paris auction house Delbergue-Cormont described him as a bibliophile "of the school of Renouard . . . who only liked irreproachable copies." We bought this item without being warned that it is slightly defective but given its distinguished provenance and the many other features it has going for it we did not ask the seller to take it back. M. Snyders unknown
1944ST19310Sheffield England December 1944. 265 x 215 mm. 10 1/2 x 8 1/2". 6 leaves illuminated on rectos final leaf also illuminated on verso with colophon. <br/> VERY ATTRACTIVE DARK BLUE MOROCCO GILT stamped-signed "Bound by Slinn" on front pastedown upper cover with monogram of Edwin Goddard Stokes framed by gilt-ruled compartments containing gilt lettering elaborate gilt foliage and a gilt crown tool at top the panel surrounded by a double gilt rule frame and dogtooth roll border with additional foliate tools rear cover with quatrefoil design in floral tools and pointillé dogtooth roll border smooth spine with gilt-ruled compartments. In a rather worn felt-lined brown paper wallet case with handwritten titling on spine. Each recto with one or two large two- to three-line initials either painted or gilt TITLE PAGE WITH A FULL BORDER and others with a large complex border all of them elaborately painted with a variety of patterns styles motifs and with gilt embellishments one border incorporating three coats of arms AND ANOTHER PAGE WITH A QUARTER-PAGE MINIATURE OF A KNIGHT ON HORSEBACK. Trivial wear at top of front joint otherwise in pristine condition.<br/> <br/> This is a charming modern illuminated manuscript penned during WWII that contains two excerpts from Shakespeare in praise of "this other Eden demi-paradise" called England--specifically passages from John of Gaunt's dying speech in "King Richard II" and lines from "King John." As stated in the colophon the manuscript "was Designed Written out and Illuminated by John Wilfred Clarke of Ecclesall Sheffield for his great friend Edwin Goddard Stokes of Ringinglow Sheffield." Clarke d. 1954 was a municipal engineer and town planner by trade professions for which skill in the visual arts particularly draftsmanship is not only preferred but required. He was clearly a talented amateur with a flair for pattern and design. Though he incorporates elements found in Medieval manuscripts--trailing ivy leaves penwork decoration tessellation and line enders--the style is at the same time modern utilizing bold color combinations and layered shapes and patterns. Given the artist's location it is quite possible that he was involved with the Sheffield School of Art which was founded in 1843 and offered classes in fine arts and crafts. We know that the binder Walter Slinn d. 1964 was a staff member at the school as well as a prominent local bookbinder. Nationalistic sentiments are made clear in the choice of material celebrating England in Shakespeare's voice and this manuscript is all the more poignant when seen in the context of its time and place. Sheffield an industrial city was a major producer of steel and armaments during WWII --and thus a high-value target for German air raids. The so-called "Sheffield Blitz" of 1940 resulted in hundreds of deaths and nearly 80000 damaged homes. In December of 1944 when this manuscript was completed the end of the war was not yet in sight. Despite the bleak circumstances the manuscript radiates color light and hope. The recipient of Clarke's attractive manuscript was Edwin Goddard Stokes 1902 - ca. 1957 one of the sons of the prominent Sheffield businessman Robert James Stokes founder of R. J. Stokes & Co. a tile company that still flourishes in the city now. It is clear that this item was carefully looked after by this "great friend" of the artist. So far as we have been able to determine Clarke is an unrecorded artist except for the present Shakespeare work and one other similar manuscript featuring excerpts from Chaucer now in Stanford University Library. unknown
1862ST20857London: Edmund Evans for Sampson Low Son and Co 1862. ONE OF PERHAPS 10 COPIES PRINTED ON VELLUM. 260 x 195 mm. 10 1/4 x 7 3/4". vii 1 235 1 pp. <br/> Publisher's stiff vellum smooth spine with gilt lettering edges untrimmed. In a modern felt-lined blue buckram drop-back box. Decorative initials in red or blue title page and text leaves with full criblé border of vined foliation occasionally inhabited eight or 10 leaves with more extensive illustrations at head or foot all engraved by W. J. Linton after illustrations by John Franklin. Front pastedown with ex-libris of Marion Hope Rattey. A Large Paper Copy. McLean "Victorian Book Design" p. 184. Short thin cracks to head and tail of front joint spine vaguely soiled upper cover with two very small brown spots and one trivial red mark occasional mild rumpling or naturally occurring variations in the grain or thickness of the vellum as usual a couple of minor smudges but still a very agreeable copy the binding solid and without the splaying common in vellum books the interior clean fresh and bright and the margins extraordinarily wide.<br/> <br/> This is an infrequently encountered copy of a beautiful Victorian book on vellum issued by one of the era's top printers. The volume was printed by Edmund Evans 1826-1905 who is now best remembered for his illustrations and advances in color wood engravings. Relatively little is known about this book's production: Ruari McLean tells us that it was "entirely printed" by Evans but it is unknown whether he was responsible for the design as well McLean remarks that "if Evans was responsible for its design it shows his superiority in book-making". We also are unsure how many copies were printed on vellum although the general consensus is 10. Regardless as McLean tells us "it is one of the prettiest books of the 'sixties" with sharp deep impressions of the type on the rich creamy vellum jewel-like colored initials and elegant wood-engraved illustrations. These illustrations are the work of John Franklin ca.1800-68 a painter and draftsman who was highly respected in his own time. The precisely realized borders feature idealized human forms posed within a robust botanical largely acanthus context the figures posing with balletic grace their expressive faces often turned gently away from the reader. The size of the leaf here is significant: the untrimmed edges retain their tiny printing pinholes which would normally have been trimmed away with regrettable loss. And not surprisingly our vellum printing is almost never seen: we could trace just two copies at auction since 1924. Former owner Marion Hope Rattey 1922-97 was likely the daughter of bibliographer Clifford C. Rattey 1886-1970 whose impressive library featured incunabula and block prints. [Edmund Evans for] Sampson Low, Son, and Co unknown
ST17768<p>England second half of 12th century but before 1180. 313 x 198 mm. 12 1/4 x 7 3/4. Double column 32 lines in a lovely late Caroline hand verso with some lines erased and corrected in a smaller hand. <br />Mounted in a fine tan cloth folder between sheets of textured acid-free paper. Front pastedown with book label of the Schøyen Collection with their shelf mark MS 237 written in ink. ◆Recovered from a binding and thus with overall toning and soiling recto somewhat browned from binder's glue but almost entirely confined to three margins and the verso virtually unaffected other trivial imperfections but in surprisingly good condition given its history the very rich ink especially dark and well preserved.<br /><br />This is an exceptionally lovely example of an early English book hand standing at the crossroads of the Caroline and proto-gothic calligraphic traditions. According to Thompson "In the twelfth century the scribes seem to have vied with each other in producing the best types of book-writing of which they were capable with the result that remarkable precision in the formation of the letters was attained and that the century may be named as excelling all others for the beauty of its MSS." "Greek and Latin Paleography" p. 436 The present leaf certainly lives up to this description being notable for its exceptionally neat and legible script written with uncommonly pretty and regular letter forms by a practiced and confident hand. The Caroline tradition is apparent in certain tendencies such as the use of "&" for "et" and the lack of biting curves between letters while a shift toward the proto-gothic can be seen in the vertical and compressed letter forms as well as the increased use of abbreviations and ligatures. Although the present work has often been credited to Haymo of Halberstadt due to a longstanding error in attribution reaching back to the 15th century modern scholarship now recognizes Haimo of Auxerre a monk at the Abbey of Saint-Germain in Auxerre d. ca. 875 as its true author. A prominent theologist and writer during the Caroline Renaissance Haimo produced a number of influential commentaries on various books of the Bible. The provenance on this leaf can be traced back as far as the mid-19th century when it was auctioned at Sotheby's on 21 August 1858 lot 119.2 sold as part of an album containing various leaves and fragments put together by Philip Bliss 1787-1857 registrar of the University of Oxford. It then went into the celebrated collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps 1792-1872 and was eventually sold by the Robinson Brothers on 24 April 1911 lot 390.3. This leaf has previously appeared in Quartich's catalogue 1036 "Bookhands of the Middle Ages" no. 79.5 and was most recently in the collection of Martin Schøyen his MS 237.</p>
1465ST17243aBruges ca. 1465. 193 x 145 mm. 7 5/8 x 5 3/4". Single column 21 lines in a gothic book hand. <br/> Rubrics in red WITH THREE LARGE HISTORIATED INITIALS: ONE WITH A PORTRAIT OF CHRIST WEARING THE CROWN OF THORNS AND TWO WITH DISEMBODIED HANDS SHOWING THE STIGMATA each initial in pink or blue with white tracery filled with dark pink or blue with thin gilt lines and dots hands with wavy blue rays radiating from behind the appendage all within a thin gilt frame both sides with a three-quarter border consisting of hairline vines gold bezants and a few colorful flowers. ◆Margins with a little light soiling BUT IN FINE CONDITION THE PAINT OF THE INITIALS ESPECIALLY RICH AND WELL PRESERVED.<br/> <br/> From a manuscript probably produced in Bruges for the English market this leaf contains arresting initials that direct the viewer's attention to the wounds endured by Christ during the Passion. According to Roger Wieck Passion Cycle images enjoyed a particular vogue in 15th century Dutch Flemish and English Books of Hours including those that were exported to England. In the present example the strikingly unusual imagery includes a portrait of Christ wearing the Crown of Thorns his gaze fixed directly at the viewer and in separate initials his left and right hands appear disembodied and displaying the stigmata. A sister leaf to the present item features three additional initials showing the wounds of the left and right foot as well as the spear injury to Christ's side depicted as an oval piece of flesh with a laceration across the center. The parent manuscript containing the present leaf sold at Christie's on 15 November 2006 lot 16 the description for which gives us additional information about the book's contents and provenance: it was made for the Use of Sarum included a calendar with the English saint Thomas Becket and Popes Gregory and Silvester with their names crossed out indicating that it was in England through at least the time of the Reformation and contained an early ownership inscription of a woman named Bridget Lowe with a Middle English inscription on the pastedown. Christie's also attributed the parent manuscript to the workshop of William Vrelant with miniatures possibly by his chief assistant the Master of the "Vraie Cronique Descoce." They note that this work is "of higher quality than many of the works that satisfied the English demand for Netherlandish illumination" and that it "demonstrates why Vrelant appealed to the great bibliophiles of the Burgundian Netherlands." Vrelant was the leading purveyor of books of private devotion in Bruges during the third quarter of the 15th century and his prominent position among Flemish illuminators of the time is indicated by the considerable number of manuscripts illustrated in his manner by other miniaturists both in Bruges and in nearby cities in Flanders. Similar examples to the present leaf can be found in intact Books of Hours at the Philadelphia Free Library MS Widener 3 and the Huntington HM 1086--both of which were produced in Flanders or the Netherlands around the same time as the present work--but the present leaf surpasses both of these examples in terms of excellence of the artistic hand and level of detail depicted. unknown
1460ST12839Paris ca. 1460. 153 x 110 mm. 6 x 4 3/8". Single column 14 lines of text in a fine gothic book hand. <br/> One-line initial in burnished gold on a pink and blue ground with white tracery a two-line initial and a three-line initial in pink with white tracery on a ground of burnished gold the center filled with twining blue vines bearing pink and scarlet flowers verso with a rinceau panel border featuring twining hairline stems bearing burnished gold ivy leaves and fruit blue and gold acanthus leaves and flowers recto WITH AN ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE OF THE HOLY TRINITY SURROUNDED BY THE HEAVENLY HOST this and the accompanying text enclosed by a pink blue and burnished gold bar border on one side and a brushed gold bar border with pink lotus flowers on two sides the whole surrounded by A FULL RINCEAU BORDER DENSE WITH ACANTHUS LEAVES FOLIAGE FRUIT FLOWERS AND TINY GOLD BERRIES on hairline stems. ◆A little paint flaked from the book held by the Trinity a couple of small spots in the margin otherwise in fine condition--clean and smooth with comfortable margins and bright gold.<br/> <br/> The Trinity is shown here seated on a canopied throne with God the Son his hand raised in blessing to the left of the Father. The latter in a towering crown holds a gold orb and the Father and Son together support a large book opened between them. The dove of the Holy Spirit hovers above the book radiating golden beams. The Trinity is flanked on both sides by cherubim and seraphim in rich red and soft yellow. It is the rendering of this angelic ambiance that elevates the level of aesthetic achievement here: both red and yellow celestial beings are given a ghostly appearance as if appearing out of a filmy yellow or a densely red fog. The artistic qualities as a whole suggest that this leaf comes from a manuscript commissioned by a person of significant means. unknown
1952015764Paris Pierre Seghers 1952 In-4 Broché à la japonaise Signé par l'auteur
1909ST16339Paris: Bouasse-Lebel et Marrin ca. 1909. 188 x 140 mm. 7 3/8 x 5 1/2". 72 pp.; 1 leaf miniature; XXXII pp. <br/> Tasteful contemporary olive green crushed morocco each cover WITH A CENTRAL RECESSED PANEL OF MODELLED AND PAINTED LEATHER that on the upper cover with a portrait of the Virgin Mary within an arched frame of acanthus leaves that on the lower cover with the coat of arms of the Deburghgraeve family. With text and decorations lithographed featuring decorative borders and initials throughout those on 55 pages COLORED AND ILLUMINATED BY HAND many of these in a Medieval or Renaissance style others with Japanese or Greek motifs with a small hand-painted miniature of the Crucifixion against a golden sky and WITH A FULL-PAGE HAND-PAINTED MINIATURE showing the Flight into Egypt within a decorative border featuring vignettes of a peasant gathering wood and a knight in armor praying. With a hand-painted ribbon bookmark "Souvenir de ma 1ère Communion" dated 6 June 1909; carbon copy of a poem "A la Memoire de ma tres chere et regrettee cousine Mathilde Deburghgraeve-Canal" by Lucy Salze-Bouchet dated February 1945 this with short curving tear into one margin. Just the most trivial signs of wear but A VERY FINE COPY the vellum leaves quite clean and very bright with shining decorations and the binding lustrous and virtually unworn.<br/> <br/> Luxuriously lithographed on vellum handsomely bound and illuminated and painted by hand in vibrant colors this charming prayer book was obviously treasured by its owners--the first of whom may have been a young lady who received it on the occasion of her First Communion. The text and decorations here have been reproduced lithographically from a manuscript of the period being printed apparently by Bouasse-Lebel et Massin--a company specializing in devotional prints and books. The firm's name appears in very small letters at various places in the volume. Each leaf contains a different border design inspired by Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts as well as artwork from around the world in a pleasing pastiche of Western Egyptian Japanese Indian and Grecian motifs. Many of the borders have been hand-colored and present an array of distinct palettes usually richly hued which adds greatly to the book's appeal and the viewer's sense of discovery from page to page. The bespoke binding featuring the Madonna in profile beautifully modelled in leather adds another element of luxury to the book. The coat of arms suggests that it was made for a member of the Deburghgraeve family and the laid-in poem suggests that it remained with them through the death of the family's matriarch Mathilde Deburghgraeve-Canal in 1944. We know that Mathilde had three daughters all born around the turn of the century; based on the presence of a bookmark commemorating a First Communion in 1909 it is likely that the original recipient was among these three young ladies. Bouasse-Lebel was established in 1845 by Eulalie Bouasse-Lebel 1809-98 as a means of supporting herself and her children following the dissolution of her marriage. Though founded under difficult circumstances Bouasse-Lebel became a very successful enterprise and even earned a papal commendation in 1871 for consistently excellent work. The company was highly regarded for the quality and delicacy of their productions of which the present work is a choice example. Although individual religious cards printed by Bouasse-Lebel show up fairly frequently far scarcer are complete books in the estimable condition seen here--particularly those with the kind of deluxe upgrades that make this particular item so desirable. Bouasse-Lebel et Marrin unknown
1460ST12835Paris ca. 1460. 195 x 143 mm. 7 3/4 x 5 1/2". Single column 16 lines in a gothic book hand. <br/> Minor feast days in red and blue major feasts in gold numerous gold and painted line fillers the five "A" initials and the "KL" highly decorative and painted pink and blue against a gold background gold and pink bar surrounding the text on three sides BOTH SIDES OF THE LEAF WITH EXTRAVAGANTLY DECORATIVE BOTANICAL FULL BORDERS with two small birds hidden within and INCORPORATING TWO MEDALLION MINIATURES DEPICTING THE LABOR OF THE MONTH SOWING AND THE SIGN OF THE ZODIAC SCORPIO FOR OCTOBER. ◆IN VERY FINE FRESH CONDITION with gold and paint extraordinarily bright.<br/> <br/> The extraordinarily lavish and animated full borders coupled here with extensive use of brushed and burnished gold--for major feast days for decorative border elements and even for the hundreds of seeds being sown!--suggests that this calendar folio comes from a Book of Hours that was commissioned for a person or persons of high rank since it would have been very costly. The leaf comes from a manuscript that included numerous roundels depicting the lives of St. Catherine and the more obscure St. Alexius and it is possible that the Book of Hours belonged to a husband and wife for whom these saints served as patrons. The style of the delicately painted figures especially in the roundels indicates an artist who was familiar with the early output of the Coëtivy Master who according to Avril and Renaud can be identified with Colin d'Amiens who made a great name for himself in Paris not as was previously thought with Henri de Vulcop who made a great name for himself in the Loire region. The master takes his name from the Book of Hours now in the Austrian national library that he painted for Olivier de Coëtivy and his wife Marie de Valois one of some 30 works that have been identified as his. Although there is considerable Flemish influence that can be seen in his work he has links for example with Simon Marmion Colin d'Amiens was active in Paris during the third quarter of the 15th century and with Barthélmy van Eyck and Jean Fouquet was among the three great artists of this period patronized by the French court--Avril and Renaud says flatly that our master was "the most important artist practising in Paris in the third quarter of the century from about 1450 to 1485." For more on the Coëtivy Master see Avril and Reynaud pp. 58-69. unknown
