Guerric d'Igny, Sermons, Paris, 1540, Parisian tan calf gilt by Jean Picard

GUERRIC D'IGNY. Sermons de Guerricus abbe d'Igny, translatez de latin en langue vulgaire francoise, par Iehan de Gaigny, Docteur, Conseiller, & premier Aulmosnier du Roy, par le commandement dudict seignur. Paris: Simon de Colines, [1540]

Jean de Gagny's French translation of Guerric d'Igny's Sermons was first printed in 1539, and reprinted in 1540 by Simon de Colines for Étienne Roffet.

The humanist Jean de Gagny (1490/1500-1549) was appointed almoner to François I in 1536 and chancellor of the University of Paris in 1546. In 1527, he founded a printing-house (for which he had special types cast), and became a distributor of Aldine press books in Paris. This copy is no. 13 in a list of books which "either belonged to [Gaigny] or were given by him" compiled by André Jammes & Nicolas Barker, "Jean de Gagny: A bibliophile re-discovered", The Library 11 (2010), p.438 & Pl. 15 (upper cover of binding). The authors suggest this copy was commissioned by Jean de Gagny (d.1549) for presentation.

This 1540 copy was bound by Jean Picard, responsible for many Grolier bindings. This binding follows in that style, employing many of the tools found in Nixon, Grolier Bindings, including C. de P. 1, 2, 3, 12, 16, 26, and 42 (tools identified with the workshop of Claude Picques, since attributed by Anthony Hobson to the workshop of Jean Picard). These tools are also found on Reliures royales de la Renaissance 18 and Davis Gift 24, both also circa 1540.

An inscription on the penultimate verso reads "non prohibetur per triden, Jerónimo Correia da Silveira", likely a censorship inscription by Jerónimo Correia da Silveira, recorded in Lisbon in the second half of the sixteenth century (Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo).

8vo (180 x 115 mm). Roman and italic type, 29 lines plus headline. Collation: π⁴ A-Z⁸ AA-FF⁸ GG⁴: 240 leaves (π4 and GG4 blank). Woodcut printer's device on title-page, woodcut initials, ruled in red.

Binding: Parisian tan calf (195 x 128 mm), ca 1540, by Jean Picard, outer frame formed by 2 pairs of gilt fillets containing repeated leafy tool, inner frame formed by 3 gilt fillets with concave corners to accommodate large solid leafy cornerpieces, central frame formed by 2 gilt fillets flanked by leafy tools, large solid arabesque tool stamped back to back in centre, spine with small gilt fleuron in compartments, edges painted (blue?) and gauffered. (Rebacked, retaining most of original spine, corners restored.)

Provenance: Plausibly a presentation copy from Jean de Gaigny. Acquisition: Purchased in 1997 from Librairie Paul Jammes, Paris. References: BP16 109846; USTC 15341