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Cazelles, Raymond (Commentary).
Les Tres Riches Heures du Duke de Berry [with] Commentary to the Facsimile Edition of Manuscript 65 from the Collection of the Musee Conde, Chantilly [ 2 volume set].
Publisher: Faksimile-Verlag Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland;
Date of Publication: 1984
Stock Code: 6635
Limited Edition: Number XXXIX of only 80 copies numbered in Roman numerals, reserved for authors, collaborators and the publishers’ archives. Large quarto, [206] leaves with 9-colour plus gold and silver reproduction, printed by Mengis and Sticher of Lucerne including 65 small miniatures and 66 full-page miniatures. Handbound by Burkharat of Zurich to match the cover of the bound manuscript in full red morocco with 5 raised bands, floral and foliate decoration in gilt to compartments, floral border to boards and armorial to both boards, in gilt to lower and in gilt and orange to upper board. Aeg, gilt dentelles and green silk paste-downs. Commentary quarto, pp 354; 20 monochrome illustrations within text. Quarter red morocco with gilt titles to spine and green silk-covered boards to match endpapers of facsimile. Spine of facsimile lightly sunned and edges very lightly rubbed otherwise Fine. Each of the volumes stamped: “Kindly donated in 2015 to St Mary’s R C Church Loughborough by Graham and Mary Embleton”, respectively to Limitation leaf and title page. A superb example. Probably the most famous of all medieval books of hours and certainly one of the most lavish, the Tres Riches Heures was commissioned by Jean Duke of Berry (1340-1416) from the Limbourg brothers who previously produced his Belles Heures. Incomplete at the death both of patron and artists, the work was posthumously completed by Jean Colombe for Charles, Duke of Savoy. Copiously illustrated and in a larger format than many devotional texts, the instantly recognisable artwork includes vividly coloured scenes of the Duke feasting and of seasonal agricultural and domestic work to the calendar. £4000.00