1404 resultados
1465ref. ST17243bBruges ca. 1465. 193 x 145 mm. 7 5/8 x 5 3/4". Single column 21 lines in a gothic book hand. Rubrics in red one two-line initial in gold filled with blue on pink ground WITH THREE LARGE HISTORIATED INITIALS: ONE FEATURING AN OVAL-SHAPED PIECE OF FLESH WITH A GASH IN THE CENTER AND TWO WITH CHRIST'S DISEMBODIED FOOT SHOWING THE PUNCTURE WOUND FROM THE CRUCIFIXION each initial in pink or blue with white tracery filled with dark pink and thin gilt lines and dots four wavy blue rays radiating from behind each 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. ◆Vellum a shade less than bright faint marginal rumpling trivial paint transfer on one initial BUT IN FINE CONDITION the initials richly painted and extremely well preserved. 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 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. A sister leaf to the present item features three additional initials showing 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. 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. The present leaf surpasses both of these examples in terms of excellence of the artistic hand and attention to detail. unknown
1944ref. ST19310Sheffield 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. 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. 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
1862ref. ST20857London: 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. 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. 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
ref. ST17768England 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. 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. 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.
1465ref. ST17243aBruges ca. 1465. 193 x 145 mm. 7 5/8 x 5 3/4". Single column 21 lines in a gothic book hand. 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. 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
1460ref. ST12839Paris ca. 1460. 153 x 110 mm. 6 x 4 3/8". Single column 14 lines of text in a fine gothic book hand. 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. 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
1626ref. ST19298Antwerp: 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. 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. 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
ref. 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. 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. 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
ref. 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. 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. 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
ref. 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. 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. 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
1540ref. ST20622Germany ca. 1540. 183 x 133 mm. 7 1/8 x 5 1/4". 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. 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
ref. 107057Britanny: c. 1430. 7.8” x 5.6”. 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 5.6”. Illuminated leaf on vellum hardcover books
1907ref. ST16456Birmingham 1907. 312 x 275 mm. 12 3/8 x 10 3/4". 16 leaves illuminated on rectos only. 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. 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
1967ref. 013366Genève Claude Givaudan 1967 In-8 Broché, étui de l'éditeur Ed. originale
1915ref. ST17129-042Chicago: 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. 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. 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
1939ref. ST17129-020Wimbledon 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. 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. 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
ref. 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. 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. 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
ref. ST20617cAustria Salzburg second half of 12th century. 319 x 244 mm. 12 1/2 x 9 1/2". Single column 27 lines in a lovely proto-gothic hand. Rubrics in red two one-line initials and one two-line initial in red WITH A LARGE 140 mm. WHITE-VINE INITIAL INHABITED BY A BIRD outlined in red and filled in with blue and green. Lower margin of recto with a 20th century note in red ink identifying the text. Recovered from a binding and thus with overall darkening top half of verso somewhat soiled with top line obscured though with all other letters on both sides very distinct cut a little close to the thin red extension of the initial a few minor holes inlcuding one elongated one through the top part of the initial with minimal loss. Even with these defects a powerfully attractive leaf with memorable decoration and script. Containing a beautiful proto-gothic script and an exceptional Romanesque initial this leaf is a particularly desirable example of early Austrian manuscript production. The opening initial "F" is formed with foliate designs outlined in red given shape by coloring in the negative space with an intense azure blue and moss green. Adding to the initial's charm is a large bird perched on one of the curving branches turning its head to the right as if to read the text like the initial it is also outlined in red. The white-vine style seen here would later become a model for the Italian Humanist scribes and illuminators of 15th and 16th centuries who substituted glistening gold leaf for the vibrant yellow paint favored by some artists of the Romanesque period. The text here is from St. John Chrysostom's homily on St. Matthew 22:34-40 an account of the Pharisees questioning Jesus on God's law asking "which commandment in the law is the greatest" Jesus famously replies with the key tenets of the Christian faith: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets." This text was the Gospel reading for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost preceded by the incipit "Frequenter iudei diversis interrogationibus" "The Jews repeatedly tested him with various questions". The present leaf almost certainly belonged to a Lectionary owned by a Romanesque church in Salzburg a manuscript that was later dismembered for use in bookbinding. According to the source from which we purchased this leaf it was shown in 1893 to the Medieval historian and later the Abbot of St. Peter's Salzburg Willibald Hauthaler 1843-1922 who wrote the identification in red ink along the lower edge. It was later owned by the Salzburg-based merchant artist and collector Carl von Frey 1826-96. It appeared at Christie's in 2010 where along with five sister leaves it sold for £13970. unknown
1470ref. ST19885Netherlands ca. 1470-80. 164 x 123 mm. 6 1/2 x 4 7/8". Single column 17 lines in a gothic hand. 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. 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
1441ref. ST19880Italy 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. 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. 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
ref. 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
1858ref. ST21120Paris: Printed by J. Claye for Gruel & Engelman 1858. 155 x 117 mm. 6 1/8 x 4 5/8". 703 1 pp. VERY FINE GOTHIC-STYLE BLIND-STAMPED BROWN MOROCCO BY LÉON GRUEL stamp-signed at foot of spine covers with central panel showing the Tree of Jesse surrounded by the words "Egredietur virga de radice Iesse et flos deradice eius ascendet et requiescat super eum" A rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse and a flower shall grow out of his root and rest upon him" this framed by a roll of grapevines and floral vines oblique fleur-de-lys at each corner two silver square knot fore-edge clasps one catchplate replaced raised bands densely gilt turn-ins marbled endpapers and flyleaves all edges stained red. In a very fine brown morocco-backed buckram drop-back box with padded plush interior gilt lettering on spine. Title page and colophon with large device of Gruel & Engleman featuring two angels verso of title with printer's device of J. Claye each page with elaborate woodcut border featuring biblical scenes modelled on those in printed 15th century French Prayer books and seven miniatures Tree of Jesse Crucifixion Deposition Pentecost Trinity Conception of the Virgin Annunciation to the Virgin. Front flyleaf with a lengthy ink inscription to Mademoiselle Jeanne Ansart from printer Jules Claye in elegant calligraphic hand dated 1 December 1876. With three contemporary prayer cards and two commemorative cards--one for the ordination of a priest one for a nun professing her initial vows--laid in. See Judge "Léon Gruel: Master of Medieval Revival in Bookbinding" Encyclopedia of Design 2021 online: https://encyclopedia.design/2024/03/21/leon-gruel-master-of-medieval-revival-in-bookbinding/; Jeremy Norman "Master Printer Jules Claye Inscribes a Copy of a Book of Hours that He Printed on Vellum" History of Information online: https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.phpid=5590. Faint rubbing to joints and extremities isolated trivial thumbing one small red smudge but A VERY FINE COPY--clean fresh and bright internally in a very lustrous binding with sharp impressions of the stamps. A luxurious volume in every way this is the only known copy printed on vellum of a 15th century-style prayer book created by distinguished Parisian publishers Gruel et Engelmann; it was bound by a celebrated craftsman who was an expert on the history of his craft and presented by the printer to a young woman perhaps to commemorate her taking religious vows. The firm that became Gruel et Engelmann had a complex evolution. It was founded as a bindery by Isidore Desforges in 1811 and after Desforges' daughter Catherine married Paul Gruel 1800-46 the latter took over the business in 1825. Following his death Catherine kept the bindery going for five years before marrying Parisian publisher Jean Engelmann d. 1875. The spouses merged their firms and combined their specialties to produce beautiful devotional books inspired by Medieval manuscript Books of Hours and early printed prayer books bound in appropriately historic styles. Catherine's son Léon Gruel 1840-1923 joined the firm as a binder and after his stepfather's death Gruel et Engelmann was run by Léon who headed the binding division and his stepbrother Edmond Engelmann who was in charge of the design and printing of books. In her "Bookbinders and their Craft" Prideaux says that the Gruel firm "always had the highest reputation . . . for initiative in artistic matters as well as for irreproachable execution in the detail of its many-sided achievements." The productions of Gruel et Englemann were informed by the collecting enthusiasms of the brothers--Léon's for historical bindings and Edmond's for illuminated manuscripts. Under their direction Gruel et Engelmann published and bound numerous works of devotion like the present "Paroissien" a service book that includes the texts and prayers in Latin and French used to celebrate Mass throughout the year. The author of "Manuel Historique et Bibliographique de l'Amateur de Relieure" and an expert on historical bindings Léon Gruel was adept at replicating any number of antiquarian bindings styles. As he noted in an interview with "The Bookman" in 1900 "Modern book binding has discovered nothing to equal the old designs and at best we can only copy." For this volume he chose the very appropriate Gothic style a particular favorite of his. According to the "Encyclopedia of Design" Gruel's "blend of reverence for the past with innovative application in the present allowed him to recreate historical styles with unparalleled accuracy and creativity." According to the former owner of this book distinguished bibliophile and rare book dealer Jeremy Norman Gruel et Engelmann never advertised a vellum printing of this title leading him to believe that their printer Jules Claye 1806-86--whom he considers "one of the great French trade printers of the mid-19th century"--printed this copy on vellum for himself. The sturdy vellum leaves make the text block here 63 mm. thick--a considerable bulk for a volume of this size. Claye recognized this and even concluded his lengthy and elegantly calligraphed inscription to Mlle. Jeanne Ansart with a graceful apology for the weight of the book: "As you approach the hour when God shall bless you / I offer prayers for you though we have never met / And I come to consecrate with a devout remembrance / The day you shall behold this new dawn. / This work of my handsI must admit / Is heavy for yours to bear yet it shall endure. / Forgive me remembering that our Divine Master / Climbed Golgotha beneath the burden of His cross." While it is possible that "the hour when God shall bless you" and "this new dawn" might indicate a marriage it seems more likely that this refers to Mlle. Ansart's taking the veil. The presence here of a Mass card that depicts a young woman professing her initial vows as a nun would seem to support this theory. Whatever path she chose Jeanne Ansart and successive owners cherished and carefully protected this luxurious volume over the years leaving it for us to savor visually and tactilely. [Printed by J. Claye for] Gruel & Engelman unknown
ref. ST20617dAustria Salzburg second half of 12th century. 321 x 218 mm. 12 5/8 x 8 5/8". Single column 27 lines in a lovely proto-gothic hand top two lines in red or black uncials. Rubrics and numbers in red two one-line initials in red with A LARGE 115 mm. IMAGE OF JOSEPH WEARING HIS COAT OF MANY COLORS the body outlined in brown ink and the coat outlined in red. Lower margin of recto with a 20th century note in red ink see below. Recovered from a binding and thus with overall darkening on the recto and with nothing readable on the verso bottom line of text a bit damaged because of crease through it a few small holes two corners trimmed one or two letters of final line of text lost but more than half of the Joseph figure including the face still visible and the text on the recto entirely legible. Containing a beautiful proto-gothic script and a rare figurative Romanesque initial this leaf is a particularly desirable example of early Austrian manuscript production. The text here is as neatly noted in German at the tail edge of the recto Genesis 37:2-10 the beginning of the story of Joseph the 17-year-old son of Jacob here called Israel and his second wife Rachel. In the well-known biblical account Joseph is his father's favorite of 12 sons and the patriarch gives him a beautiful coat of many colors making his brothers jealous. Joseph here intensifies their dislike of him by recounting to his brothers two of his dreams in which sheaves of grain and then various celestial bodies bowed down to him. Dream or reality the images did not sit well with the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery. Although once the leaf was reused as binding material we can nevertheless make out an historiated "I" in the form of Joseph as a young man including an outline of his multi-colored coat. It is difficult to say with certainty whether the initial would originally have been washed with color or composed solely as a line drawing but whatever the case we are lucky to have so much of it intact. With his long flowing hair semi-nude body and hand placed delicately on his hip Joseph is depicted in quite a seductive manner and the simple line-drawing further emphasizes the body's curves and lithe appearance. Romanesque initials with historiation are not nearly as common as decorative ones and the present depiction is especially unusual. While illustrations of Joseph do appear in other manuscripts of this period they tend to focus on specific events from the biblical narrative--particularly those that lend themselves to the tradition of Joseph as a prefiguration of Christ such as Joseph being thrown into the pit or revealing his identity to his brothers. The present example by contrast is all about the presentation of the figure. This leaf almost certainly belonged to a Lectionary owned by a Romanesque church in Salzburg a manuscript that was later dismembered for use in bookbinding. According to the source from which we purchased this leaf it was shown in 1893 to the Medieval historian and later the Abbot of St. Peter's Salzburg Willibald Hauthaler 1843-1922 who wrote the identification in red ink along the lower edge. It was later owned by the Salzburg-based merchant artist and collector Carl von Frey 1826-96. It appeared at Christie's in 2010 where along with five sister leaves it sold for £13970. unknown
ref. ST20846ESouthern Netherlands ca. 1280. 110 x 83 mm. 4 3/8 x 3 1/4". Single column 19 lines in a gothic hand. Rubrics in red simple line fillers in red or blue each leaf with multiple one-line initials in red or blue one leaf also with three two-line gilt initials on blue and pink ground and with bar border extensions in gold blue and pink EACH LEAF WITH A LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL measuring seven to eight lines long 27-30 mm. the initial in pink and the figures painted on a gilt ground all this on a blue ground framed in gilt with spiky pink and blue marginal extensions studded with gilt bezants one of the leaves with a small hybrid creature with a human face incorporated into the extension. One leaf with early marginal notation; each leaf with a small leather tab marking major text on fore edge. One leaf with tip of marginal extension just grazed the other with vellum vaguely soiled and thinned in one spot resulting in tiny hole but attractive leaves in very pleasing condition overall. Featuring large historiated initials with some unusual iconography these leaves come from a charming Psalter-Hours attributed to the Morgan 183 Group. Active in the late 13th and early 14th centuries and so-named for a highly decorative manuscript once owned by J. Pierpont Morgan the artists of this group are considered important purveyors of the gothic style from Paris into Liege and the Southern Netherlands. Our parent manuscript was probably executed in Brabant or Hainault based on the presence of certain saints associated with these cities that appear in the Litany for example Sts. Waldetrudis of Mons and Amalberga of Maubeuge. Clues from other extant leaves containing additions and alterations to the text suggest that it was initially made for non-monastic use but later may have been adapted for a Benedictine community. The text of the present leaves come from the so-called "Seven Penitential Psalms" which are traditionally credited to King David and associated with his lamentations and atonement. The beginning of each Psalm is punctuated by a large historiated initial which marks the opening and provides a visual narrative to aid contemplation. The subjects include: a "Noli me tangere" for Psalm 6 "Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me". A full-length Christ in blue robes appears before a kneeling Mary Magdalene after his Resurrection. Between them is a tree with a bulbous red growth at the top acting as a symbolic divider between the earthly and spiritual realms. b David fleeing Saul for Psalm 38 "Dixi custodiam vias meas". This initial depicts David wearing a simple hat and tunic as opposed to a crown and robes as he escapes King Saul's murderous jealousy. He balances a staff holding a bundle of belongings on one shoulder see Morgan MS M.183 fol. 54v for a similar depiction as he is confronted by the disembodied head of God on the right. These leaves are excellent examples of the French high gothic style outside of Paris and offer multiple avenues for further research and comparison. unknown
1861THE ONLY COPY PRINTED ON VELLUM OF THIS IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL PUBLICATION. Two volumes, complete. FIRST AND ONLY COMPLETE EDITION, and first and only critical edition of the works of Pierre de Brach, an important 16th-century poet from Bordeaux, a close friend of Montaigne and many other key French Renaissance literary figures. ABOUT HALF THE WORKS ARE PUBLISHED HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME: Dezeimeris had discovered an important manuscript which included many texts thought lost forever, including the "Tombeau et regrets funebres sur la mort d'Aymee" and the second book of the "Amours". Extensive scholarly apparatus, notes, and index. Edition limited to 260 copies, of which this is THE UNIQUE COPY beautifully printed (by Gounouilhou of Bordeaux) on FINE VELLUM, with numerous woodcut ornaments, headpieces, and tailpieces. Title-pages printed in red and black, with large woodcut printer's device. Text in Italic type, notes in Roman type. Two engraved portraits on chine applique and two wood-engraved plates. 4to. Attractively bound in contemporary half red morocco. Top edge gilt, other edges uncut. Minimal traces of wear to bindings, else a fine set. Vicaire I, 919 (citing this copy); Brunet supp. I, 167 (citing this copy): "Belle publication." Viollet le Duc (I, 333): "C'etait un ecrivain correct, un versificateur elegant et harmonieux, bien superieur sous ce rapport a tous les poetes ses contemporains. On peut lui reprocher de manquer de la verve et de l'entrainement de Ronsard, par exemple; mais comme forme de langage, c'est un auteur des plus remarquables et assurement digne d'Ítre etudiÈ." 19th century French books printed on vellum are rare, and in such a large format they are extremely rare.
