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Details
Breviarium Romanum, edited by Cardinal Francesco Quignones. Lyon: Balthazar Arnoullet and the heirs of Jean Barbous, 1544.
A contemporary alla greca binding from the French Royal Bindery. The original owner of this deluxe alla greca binding - a Renaissance conceit shared by royalty, nobility and wealthy collectors across Europe – may remain anonymous but the binding places him firmly within a circle of humanists and bibliophiles such as the Grimaldi, the Fuggers, Cardinal Granvelle, Venetian doges and French kings. The royal bindery executed private commissions for Jean Grolier, Thomas Mahieu, Marcus Fugger, and others in addition to French royalty. Gommar Estienne was royal binder to Henri II from 1550 to 1558/1559, and these tools, including the characteristic azure lobed tool on the present binding, continued in use at the royal bindery under Estienne’s successor, Claude de Picques. The present binding has the raised spine ends typical of the alla greca style but not other features such as grooved board edges and feet on the bottom edges. See A. Hobson, Humanists and Bookbinders (Cambridge: 1989), esp. pp.206-213; Reliures royales de la Renaissance, pp. 148-150. Bohatta 157.
Folio (300 x 205mm). Printed in red and black, ruled in red throughout, woodcut printer’s device on title (without the final blank, occasional light marginal soiling or staining, a few marginal chips). Contemporary Parisian alla greca binding by the Royal Bindery [Gommar Estienne or Claude de Picques]: olive-brown goatskin over pasteboard tooled in gilt, elaborate interlace design, open and azure tools, each side lettered ‘Bonum faciendo ne defatigentur’ at centre, flat spine, gilt board edges, gilt and gauffered edges (without front flyleaf, minor restorations, a little loss of gold). Provenance: Luigi Bongioanni di Castelborgo (1756-1834; engraved bookplate).
A contemporary alla greca binding from the French Royal Bindery. The original owner of this deluxe alla greca binding - a Renaissance conceit shared by royalty, nobility and wealthy collectors across Europe – may remain anonymous but the binding places him firmly within a circle of humanists and bibliophiles such as the Grimaldi, the Fuggers, Cardinal Granvelle, Venetian doges and French kings. The royal bindery executed private commissions for Jean Grolier, Thomas Mahieu, Marcus Fugger, and others in addition to French royalty. Gommar Estienne was royal binder to Henri II from 1550 to 1558/1559, and these tools, including the characteristic azure lobed tool on the present binding, continued in use at the royal bindery under Estienne’s successor, Claude de Picques. The present binding has the raised spine ends typical of the alla greca style but not other features such as grooved board edges and feet on the bottom edges. See A. Hobson, Humanists and Bookbinders (Cambridge: 1989), esp. pp.206-213; Reliures royales de la Renaissance, pp. 148-150. Bohatta 157.
Folio (300 x 205mm). Printed in red and black, ruled in red throughout, woodcut printer’s device on title (without the final blank, occasional light marginal soiling or staining, a few marginal chips). Contemporary Parisian alla greca binding by the Royal Bindery [Gommar Estienne or Claude de Picques]: olive-brown goatskin over pasteboard tooled in gilt, elaborate interlace design, open and azure tools, each side lettered ‘Bonum faciendo ne defatigentur’ at centre, flat spine, gilt board edges, gilt and gauffered edges (without front flyleaf, minor restorations, a little loss of gold). Provenance: Luigi Bongioanni di Castelborgo (1756-1834; engraved bookplate).
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