Details
BINDING. - A Venetian cuir-ciselé book box. [?16th-century].
In 2 halves, (136 x 92 x 43mm. overall). Covered in dark brown calf, the covers with 4 cuir-ciselé oval medallions of a coat-of-arms (bendy of 6, colours uncertain); a lion rampant and two of winged mythical beasts, each within rectangular panels, the spine with raised bands, the edges panelled using various roll tools. The interior lined with blue floral-patterned and red marbled paper. (Some slight cracking of the leather.)
A rare survival. Given the elaborate nature of the decoration it is reasonable to assume that the case originally housed a work of some value to its owner: perhaps a fabric-bound book of hours, or some other small devotinal work. Dating is problematic, but the style of the tooling and the wear to the most exposed parts would seem to support a 16th-century date.
In 2 halves, (136 x 92 x 43mm. overall). Covered in dark brown calf, the covers with 4 cuir-ciselé oval medallions of a coat-of-arms (bendy of 6, colours uncertain); a lion rampant and two of winged mythical beasts, each within rectangular panels, the spine with raised bands, the edges panelled using various roll tools. The interior lined with blue floral-patterned and red marbled paper. (Some slight cracking of the leather.)
A rare survival. Given the elaborate nature of the decoration it is reasonable to assume that the case originally housed a work of some value to its owner: perhaps a fabric-bound book of hours, or some other small devotinal work. Dating is problematic, but the style of the tooling and the wear to the most exposed parts would seem to support a 16th-century date.