Ronsard, Les hymnes and Hymne de Bacus, Paris, 1555, contemporary brown marbled morocco with gilt medallion of Henri II

2 works in one volume, 4to (221 x 153 mm). Roman and italic type, with Greek type on final 2 leaves of second volume. collation: A-Z⁴ Aa-Bb⁴; aa-dd⁴: 100 + 16 leaves. Title-pages with woodcut devices, woodcut initials, ruled in red throughout.

binding: Contemporary polished brown marbled morocco (2230 x 162 mm), probably Lyonnaise, 2 gilt fillets round sides, oval gilt medallion in centre with portrait of Henri II, after the medal of Étienne Delaune of 1552 (Hobson, no. 101), upper board with erased gilt letters "DE FINGON", lower board with erased and illegible gilt letters, spine with 4 full bands and 2 half bands, gilt rosette in top and bottom half compartments, gilt quatrefoil in other compartments, plain edges, later endpapers. (Binding restored with corners and portions of spine ends replaced.)

provenance: ?Erased early modern gift inscription to "Madame Marcusuati" to verso of final text leaf of second work—partially erased seventeenth century ownership inscription of "Lagarde" on A4v of first work. acquisition: Purchased in 2014 from Michel Bouvier, Paris. references: cf. Hobson, "Census of Plaquette and Medallion Bindings", 101, in Humanists and Bookbinders (Cambridge, 1989), p. 242 and Second supplement p. 76; Ronsard, la trompette et la lyre, cat. BnF, 1985, no. 54 and no. 114; (1) USTC 2499; Tchemerzine, V, p. 426; (2) USTC 29880