Horae, use of Rome, Antwerp, Plantin, 1570, contemporary Flemish calf gilt

HORAE. USE OF ROME. Horae beatissimae Virginis Mariae, ad usum Romanum repurgatissimae. Antwerp: Christophe Plantin, 1570

A fine copy of Plantin’s book of hours. The elegant engravings, including borders of animals, birds, insects and plants, are by Joannes and Hieronymus Wiericx and Pieter Huys, after designs by Pieter van den Borcht. Plantin produced four versions of this 1570 book of hours, with different illustrations; this is one of the two versions with the engraved borders, the other featuring the arms of the Duke of Alba on the title-page instead of Philip II.

The binding was probably executed locally in Antwerp, where the binding trade was flourishing at this time, though Plantin also had books bound in Paris for his customers.

8vo (199 x 125 mm). Roman type. Collation: a-g⁸ A-Y⁸: 232 leaves. Printed in red and black, title with engraved arms of Philip II over Plantin’s device, each page (including title) within engraved border, engraved illustrations. (Final leaf slightly frayed and tipped in.)

Binding: Contemporary Flemish calf gilt (205 x 136 mm), central interlaced cartouche surrounded by leafy sprays, on a ground of small quatrefoil stamps, corner azured interlaced stamps, outer frame of three gilt fillets, spine gilt in compartments, edges gilt and gauffered to a leafy pattern. (Joints repaired at ends, spine ends repaired, pastedowns and flyleaves renewed, upper hinge repaired.)

Provenance: [possibly Jules Plantin (1798-1837), by family descent to] — Henri-Auguste Brölemann (1775-1869), acquisition note on pastedown “cat H[--]”, his library inherited by — Arthur Auguste Brölemann (1826-1904), armorial bookplate, with catalogue number B.168 written at foot of bookplate (and listed as item 171 in his 1897 library catalogue, “Cat. B. 168”), sale, Sotheby’s, 4-5 May 1926, lot 136, £18, to — Anton Mensing (1866-1936), sale, Sotheby’s, 15-17 December 1936, lot 303, £26, to — H. Lardanchet, Librairie-Editeur, Lyon, their description dated 11 May 1937 loosely inserted — Henri Burton (1896-1968), red gilt booklabel, sale, Christie’s, New York, 22 April 1994, lot 134. Acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. References: Bohatta 1283; USTC 411535; Voet 1368; cf Lacombe 586 (on vellum, without the engraved borders)