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an open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a picture of a man on a horse on itan old book with a picture of jesus on the crossan open book with a picture of a man and woman on itan open book with a picture of a man on a horse and a woman on a horsean old book with a bookmark on the front of itan old book with a picture of a woman and a man
AGUTTES

62 - THIELMAN KERVER. [HOURS ACCORDING TO THE ROMAN RITE].
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Estimate €3,000 - €5,000
Sale commission
Description
THIELMAN KERVER. [HOURS ACCORDING TO THE ROMAN RITE]. HORAE. Horae intemerate beate Marie virginis; Secundum usum Romanum. Paris, Thielman Kerver, 9 June 1503. In-8 (in-12 format), (123) ff. (signature: a-p8; q4), on vellum, 19 large finely engraved illustrations, painted and highlighted in gold, with ornate initials. Later marbled fawn sheepskin, ribbed spine, fawn title label, panels decorated with fleurons and gilt fillets, red edges (binding slightly rubbed, wormholes on the lower jaw, soiling on the vellum in a few quires, notably the first and last, traces of oxidation on the reverse of a few pages due to the paint, the last page more rubbed and soiled than the others due to wear, the first page slightly rubbed, some of the solid colour blocks in the borders have bled slightly; the figure of Death has been censored, with the face of the skull scraped away – on the reverse of i4, the colours of the anatomical figure are slightly rubbed; a probable pagination error at sign. (d)3, though this does not affect the text). Description: Possibly a unique copy by Kerver in Bastard Gothic, printed entirely in black on vellum. With large illustrations finely illuminated in colour and fine gold in the style of the Parisian workshops. Book of Hours for use in Rome, dated in the colophon: ‘These present Book of Hours for use in Rome were completed on the 8th day of June. in the year one thousand and five, these three by Thielman Kerver, printer and sworn bookseller of the University of Paris, for Gillet Remacle, bookseller residing on the Pont Saint-Michel under the sign of the Unicorn.” (sig. p4 verso). Anatomical Figure (marked a2) and Kerver’s typographic mark featuring unicorns (marked a1), along with 18 superb large figures engraved in black, most of which are illuminated. Text entirely framed by black-engraved material on a dotted background typical of Kerver, featuring grotesques, hunting scenes, biblical scenes or short texts; initials, paragraph marks and line-ends rubricated in blue, red and gold; the 29 small Christological or biblical figures within the text are all illuminated. There may have been two different hands at work on the illumination: the figures are particularly meticulous and very well executed, whilst some of the framing bands have been inked more crudely. Almanac “for XXIII years” covering the years 1497 to 1520 (sig. a1 verso). Silvestre, Marques typographiques, 50. Not listed in Lacombe and Moreau/Renouard. Differs in the signatures from other similar copies. No copies in the CCFr or WorldCat.
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About the sale Books & Manuscripts
Auction location
Auction time 07/03/2026 at 2:00 PM
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