Kempis, Thomas [published by Leon Curmer] - L'Imitation de Jesus-Christ (2 vol.) [1856-1858]

Out of stock

$2,500.00

We are offering here a magnificent French Christian 2 volumes set of famous Thomas Kempis's work "L'Imitation de Jesus-Christ", published in 1856-1858 in 50 issues by Leon Curmer. A very beautiful copy of this luxurious publication, rarely found complete with its two volumes - uniformly bound in original brown Morocco lether binding signed by L. Curmer and sold together with an unique custom-made wooden box.

"The ’Imitation of Jesus Christ’ that Curmer published in 1856-1858 in 50 issues, very richly decorated, was meant to be a kind of ‘selected pages’ from medieval manuscripts. "It’s by examining most of these wonderful volumes that the thought came to me of bringing them to light to the public by the reproduction of the most beautiful pages of all the periods", wrote the editor." ("The revival of medieval illumination: Nineteenth-century Belgium manuscripts and illuminations from a European perspective" by Coomans Thomas, Leuven: Universitaire Pers Leuven, 2007, p. 116).

This two volumes set is consisted of the main volume "L'Imitation de Jesus-Christ", which is completelly with chromolithography in color & gilt throughout, in the most splendid colours that are a true monument to the art of colour printing; and the "Appendice" volume, which is basically a bibliography illustrated with 4 photographic plates and numerous wood engraved borders. The 4 photographic plates are original lithographic prints (sephia albumen prints) mounted on blank paper, with portraits of famous authors whose works were influenced / used in creating this sought after set: Ioannes Gerson (the first two lithograph photos, from the first two chapters); Thomas a Kempis (the third lithograph photo, from the third chapter); and Michel de Marillac (the fourth lithograph photo, from the fourth chapter).

Each page of the first volume was chromolithographed by Lemercier, in full-page or as very large illustrated frames, in which the text is printed, reproducing polychrome and gold scenes or vegetal patterns from illuminated manuscripts of the Middle-Ages. The second volume "Appendix" is illustrated with many figures in the text and with 4 original photographs pasted on.

Both volumes bound in full brown Morocco leather binding with five raised bands and gilt lettering to the spine, all page edges gilt. Very rich decorated front and rear paste-down with gilt frames and red Moirée silk. Free endpapers also accompanied by red Moirée silk. Both bindings SIGNED by "L. Curmer" at the bottom of the front paste down. Sold together with an original custom-made wooden box with ornamental initials "PR" at the top of the case lid, lock mechanism and red satin interior.

"L'Imitation de Jesus-Christ"; Paris. L. Curmer, [1856-1858]; First edition; 2 volumes; Size of volumes: Quarto (27,5 x 21 cm); Size of the wooden box: 32 x 26 x 13 cm; Brown Morocco leather binding with five raised bands and gilt lettering to the spine. All page edges gilt. Volumes stored in an original custom-made wooden box with lock mechanism and red satin interior; Text in French and Latin; Collation complete - Volume 1 (L'Imitation de Jesus-Christ): Lithograph half title, Lithographed colophon, Chromolithograph frontispiece, Chromolithograph title page, Chromolithograph chapter title, Chromolithograph frontispiece, i-xii chromolithograph pages containing the calendar, Chromolithograph title page, 1-399 chromolithograph pages containing the main body of the text and a fine colophon page stating the work was started in 1855 and finished in 1857, Chromolithograph "Content" title, xiv (chromolithograph content pages), plus 5 additional chromolithograph chapter frontispieces and 4 chromolithograph chapter titles; Volume 2 (Appendix): Half title, Title page, i-viii, 1-143 pages, catalogue 1-52, Indexes (xvi) containing the illustrations to Holbein's Dance of Death and Le Grande Danse Macabre 1-16 pages of text; Binding is overall well preserved, tight and firm, with insignificant rubbing and surface scratches, minor discoloration, corners little bumped. Joints and hinges are whole and strong, binding remains strongly bound and stable. Wooden box shows signes of wear and use, with some crackings or incipient splittings over the outer joints, but remains whole and stable, keeping volumes secure and well protected. Text block/pages very bright and mostly clear, no annotations or markings, with occasional light foxing and slight yellowing. Some pages of the volume with chromolithographs has a very short starting bottom splitting over the line where attached to the binding, but remains attached and well bound with the rest of the text block. Volume "Appendix" age tanned and foxed at the begining (first 28 pages), occasionaly light foxing troughout, heavy foxing and wetting at the very end of the volume (last 20 pages of the text, "Index", "Appendicies" and "La Grande Danse Macabre"), but most of the text pages in the middle of the volume are very clean and bright with a slight yellowing and very occasional light foxing only. Overall a sound copy ot this sought after 2 volumes set. This is a very heavy item (cca 7 kg), so the shipping will be more expensive than usually.