270d Anonymous,(c. 1520) Book of Hours,
use of Rouen, printed on parchment, in Latin and French, with thirteen miniatures.

Rouen: Pierre or Petrus Olivier, [n.d.] c. 1520 (almanac from 1520-1540)

Price Upon Application

Octavo, 6.85 x 3.6 in.
A-R8, a total of 136 leaves.

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With thirteen half-paged painted metalcuts on (xl, xlii, xlv, xlvi [recto and verso], xlviii, l, li, liii, lv, lvii, lxiii, xc) and two smaller painted metalcuts on xc, xcvii all within a painted architectural border. In addition to the miniatures, there are numerous decorated initials that appear on nearly every leaf.

This copy is nicely bound in full nineteenth century black morocco panelled in blind with clasps and all edges gilt. John Ruskin's Brantwood bookplate, printed by William Morris at the Kelmscott Press, is affixed to the front pastedown. The binding, signed by C. Lewis on the front free parchment leaf, was probably executed for Ruskin in the late nineteenth century.

Pierre Olivier, active from 1506 to 1530, worked very often in association with other printers such as Jean Mauditier and Guillaume Gaullemier. Yet this work is one of his few independent works (he printed around 70 editions of mainly classical authors). Of Olivier's corpus of printed works, his production of Books of Hours was very limited. Only his printing of the Heures d'York (1517) and the Heures de Lisieux-Hore (1523) are recorded. (From the Rouen fascicle of the "Repertoire Bibliographique des Livres Imprimes en France.")

The illuminations include:
f. 40 The annunciation.
f. 42 The visitation or salutation of
Mary to Elizabeth.
f. 45 The crucifixion.
f. 46 The descent of the Holy Spirit.
f. 48 The angel appears to the shepherds.
f. 50 The adoration of the kings.
f. 51 The presentation in the temple.
f. 54 The flight into the desert.
f. 55 The coronation of the virgin.
f. 57 David praying.
f. 63 Death carrying away a wealthy man.
f. 90 The mass of St. Gregory. (small)
f. 97 Symbols of the crucifixion. (small)

This book does not appear in any known
reference book.

 
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