IM-13390: Book of Hours and Calendar, Use of Rome, in Latin.
Paris, France: Philippe Pigouchet for Simon Vostre, 20 August 1496.
(Almanac for 1488-1508)
Quarto Size: (188x130 mm – 7.5 x 5 inches).
Printed on vellum with 27 lines in gothic letter, ruled in red. Nineteen large miniatures, including the printer’s metalcut device on title page and Astronomical Man on verso of title, and thirty-one smaller cuts. Metalcut historiated and ornamental borders on each leaf, notably including the large series of 72 cuts from the Dance of Death. Numerous three-line, two-line and one-line illuminated initials in gold on red or blue panels throughout. Line extenders illuminated in red and gold or blue and gold.
91 leaves (of 92), lacking f8, generally clean with fresh early impressions, occasional light soiling or rubbing. Early nineteenth-century half sheep, somewhat worn.
Pigouchet printed books of hours for over 35 years, beginning with the edition of 16 September 1488. This 1496 edition is the second Pigouchet-Vostre edition to be illustrated with Pigouchet’s series of large and more refined metalcuts (Fairfax Murray set 2), preceded only by the edition of 22 May 1496. Most of the metalcut borders, including the Dance of Death set were also first used in 1496.The artist for these cuts was the Master of Anne de Bretagne, commonly identified as Jean d’Ypres, active from around 1490 to his death in 1508.
References: BMC viii 116;Bohatta, Heures, 593, Goff H379: Lancombe 36.
Provenance: Manhattan College, bookplate recording gift of Christian A Zabriskie: the Nakles Collection, sale Christies New York 17 April 2000, lot 165; Sotheby’s sale London 11 June 2002, lot 24.
An incunable: Exceptional early printed Book of Hours, with a larger suite of miniatures than normally encountered, in remarkably clean and unworn condition internally.
The Walters Art Museum collection note for Walters # 91.613, a 1498 Pigouchet-Vostre edition using the same cuts as in this copy, is applicable here as well: “In the Books of Hours produced by Philippe Pigouchet and designed by the Master of Anne de Bretagne, the intricacy of line and heavily detailed patterns make every image a tour de force of printing. It appears this book's owner appreciated these images for their own intrinsic beauty, as only the initials have been painted”.
