Sale 2543 - Lot 231

Fine Books & Manuscripts

Jul 30, 2020 at 10:30AM - Sale 2543 - Exhibition Hours

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Sale 2543 - Lot 231
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July 12, 2020

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Fine Books & Manuscripts

Book of Hours in Flemish. Octavo format manuscript on parchment, 138 leaves, illustrated with six large illuminated initials, gilt on built-up gessoed grounds, margins fully decorated with flowers, fruit, and foliate twining decoration, each featuring a figure or bird, including an angel playing the lyre, a bleeding white pelican, King David and his harp, and three colorful and fanciful birds; with many four-line decorated initials with extensive marginal tracery extensions; text in a gothic bookhand in dark brown ink throughout, captials in red and blue, text in a single column, 20 lines per page; bound in later (likely late 16th century) full morocco over wooden boards elegantly decorated with intertwining and raised knotted designs highlighted with gesso or white lead on a gilt criblé-embossed background, onlay at center of each panel tooled in blind with a fleur-de-lys, the spine decorated in compartments with gilt textured embossing and raised knotwork designs picked out in white; fitted with silver bosses, catches, clasps, and edge-pins; board edges with gilt decoration; double endbands worked in red and green; page edges ornately painted with arabesque and dot decoration in red and gilt; slight chipping at head and tail, front joint dry, generally quite good; purchased from George H. Rigby of Philadelphia in 1899, with his description inside the front board, and penciled note inside the back board, parchment pastedowns and endleaves, a nicely executed and well-preserved binding decorated in an unusual style, 7 x 4 1/2 in. Netherlands, 15th century.


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Sale 2543 - Lot 231
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