(1860) Christian "Gothic 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 richly illustrated and illuminated Christian work is consisted of 200 illustrated pages (including 8 full-page engraved plates) individually mounted on guards and chromolithographed in Color & Gilt. Writen in French and Latin, this scarce work contains Prayers, The Holy Mass, Sunday Vespers, The Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Wedding Mass.

Uniquelly bound in a brown Morocco leather binding with a front board richly addored by ornamental brass&metal decoration on the left; and brass&metal medallion to the top right corner, with embossed stylised monogram initials "SEG" (?) (backward letter "E") inside. Binding SIGNED in gilt by "AD. FONTENEY" on the inner-turn dentelles at the bottom of the front paste down (Ad. Fonteney, often active as A. Fonteney, Fonteney & Fils, or associated with Fonteney et Peltier, was a 19th-century Parisian bookbinder, publisher, and creator of ornate devotional books, missals, and cartonnages romantiques active during the mid-to-late 1800s). Richly decorated front and rear paste-down with gilt fleurons and bordeaux Moirée silk. Free endpapers also accompanied by bordeaux Moirée silk.

All 200 pages richly illustrated and illuminated with a different chromolithographs in color & gilt; Including the chromolithograph frontispiece, 4 full-page chromolithograph engravings, 4 full-page chromolithograph chapter titles and 4 chromolithograph chapter headers. 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 (1860, by references); Brown Morocco leather binding. Front board with brass&metal decoration on the left and brass&metal medallion to the top right corner, with embossed stylised monogram initials "SEG" (?) (backward letter "E") inside.Embossed title to the spine. Spine with five rised bands. All page edges gilt. Binding signed in gilt by "AD. FONTENEY" on the inner-turn dentelles at the bottom of the front paste down. Small label "Librairie Papeterie Ch. Suppligeon Tours" to the top of the front endpaper ; Size of the book: 16 x 13 cm (6.3" x 5.1"); Text in French; Collation complete - Free endpaper, (2) blank leaves, Chromolithograph frontispiece, Chromolithograph title page, CXCIV (194 chromolithograph pages including 8 chromolithograph plates), (2) pages of the "Table of Contents" ("Table des Matieres") framed by stylised chromolithography frame, (4) pages of the Appendix ("Appendice"), (2) blank leaves, free endpaper; Full leather binding is strong, tight and firm, overall in excellent condition, with minor rubbing and discoloration, a few negligible surface scratches and scuffings and minor bumping to the extremities. Top spitz (top corner) of the brass&mettal decoration on the left side of the front board is broken/missing (circa 0,5 cm). Otherwise, brass&metal decoration and medallion are both whole and in immaculate condition, with little patina only. Pages/Text block in immaculate condition, clean and very bright, no any marks or foxing throughout, only a slight yellowing. Overall the condition of the book is NEAR FINE.