Catalog Archive
Auction 138, Lot 892

"[Book of Hours Leaf]", Kerver, Thielman

Subject: Early Printing

Period: 1507 (published)

Publication:

Color: Hand Color

Size:
3.5 x 6 inches
8.9 x 15.2 cm
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Superb vellum leaf from this important transitional period when books began to be printed from movable type, decorated with metal-cut illustrations and combined with hand-painted illuminated initials. It is printed on vellum in black and red with many initials hand painted in red, blue and gold. The ornamental border on both sides illustrates scenes from the Old and New Testament. Thielman Kerver was a printer in Paris, who worked "in vico sancti Iacobi ad signum Vnicornis & ibidem venales habent" (in Saint Jacob's lane under the sign of the Unicorn where they are also for sale). He began printing Books of Hours in 1497 and continued until his death in 1522. His widow, Iolande Bonhomme, took over the firm, and continued to produce liturgical books until 1556. Kerver's work is much less common than that of his colleagues, Simon Vostre and the Hardouins.

References:

Condition: A

There is faint show-through of text on verso.

Estimate: $110 - $150

Sold for: $80

Closed on 12/7/2011

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