(1860) Embossed & Clasped Fine Binding "Book of Hours" with Gauffered Page Edges
We are offering here an exquisite French Christian Catholic devotional book
"Selected Book of Hours for Christian Ladies", taken from manuscripts from the 12th to the 17th Century. Bound in an unique brown Morocco leather binding with embossed boads and spine and with a two ornamental Silver Clasps with the overlapping parts in shape of Bolnisi Cross.
With chromolithograph frontispiece & 6 full-page chromolithograph engravings in Color & Gilt. All 208 text pages richly illustrated and illuminated by A. Leroy with a different chromolithographic frame in Color & Gilt for each page and with several chapter headers. Superb illuminations in chromolithographies inspired by medieval "Book of Hours". Letters, decorations and miniatures copied in ancient manuscripts; The text is framed with many different decorations: foliage, flowers, birds, dragons, insects, etc. All pages are printed in chromolithography on strong high quality "Japanese" paper.
"HEURES CHOISIES des DAMES CHRETIENNES; Tire des manuscrits du XIIe au XVIIe siecle provenant du cabinet de Mr. H. Baudot, à Dijon"; Paris, L. Lesort, 1860; Size of the book: 15,8 x 11,5 cm (6.22" x 4.52"); Embossed brown Morocco leather binding with two silver clasps. Spine with five rised bands. All page edges red and gauffered in gilt by ornamental crosses; Text in French; Collation complete - Chromolithograph title page, Engraved chromolithograph title, Chromolithograph frontispiece, 208 chromolithograph pages, with 6 chromolithograph plates; Full leather binding is strong, tight and firm, overall in excellent condition, with minor shelf wear. Small surface scratching to the bottom of the spine and a few minor surface scuffings to the extremities. Pages/Text block in excellent condition, clean and very bright, no any marks or annotations, a few pages with minor and light foxing dots to the white margins, slight yellowing to the white margins. Overall the condition of the book is NEAR FINE.