(1860) Christian "Book of Hours" with 200 Chromolithographs
We are offering here an exquisite French Christian Catholic devotional book "New Gothic Hours", taken from the manuscripts of the National and Private Libraries. This magnificant entirely chromolithographed work containing Prayers, The Holy Mass, Sunday Vespers, The Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Wedding Mass.
Bound in a brown Morocco leather binding. Richly decorated front and rear paste-down with gilt fleurons and bordeaux Moirée silk. Free endpapers also accompanied by bordeaux Moirée silk. With chromolithograph frontispiece and 3 full-page chromolithograph engravings, 4 full-page chromolithograph chapter titles and 4 chromolithograph chapter headers. All 200 text pages richly illustrated and illuminated with a different chromolithographs in color & gilt. Superb illuminations in chromolithographies taken from Medieval Manuscripts and Books of Hours. Letters, decorations and miniatures taken from ancient manuscripts; The text is framed with many different decorations: foliage, flowers, birds, dragons, figures, etc. All pages are printed in chromolithography on strong high quality cardboard.
"Nouvelles Heures Gothiques d'après les Manuscrits des Bibliothèques Nationales et Particulières."; Paris, Leroy, Secail & Cie, no date (circa 1880); Brown Morocco leather binding. Gilt title to the spine. Spine with five rised bands. All page edges gilt; Size of the book: 16 x 13,5 cm (6.3" x 5.3"); Text in French; Collation complete - Chromolithograph title page, Engraved chromolithograph title, CXCIV (194 chromolithograph pages), [8], with 7 chromolithograph plates; Full leather binding is strong, tight and firm, overall in very good condition, minor rubbing and discoloration mostly to the extremities, spine little faded. Cracking all over the rear joint of binding, but inner hinge is fine, strong and whole, so the rear board remains firmly attached to the binding (by inner hinge). Pages/Text block in immaculate condition, clean and bright, no any marks or foxing throughout. Overall the condition of the book is NEAR FINE.