Catalog Archive
Auction 142, Lot 746

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

Subject: Early Printing

Period: 1507 (circa)

Publication:

Color: Hand Color

Size:
4.3 x 6.7 inches
10.9 x 17 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 depicts scenes from the Old and New Testament with the captions in red. The red captions on recto are from Luke 19, Matthew 26, Jeremiah 7 and Isaiah 56. On the verso the red captions are from Genesis 37 and Samuel 15.

A portion of the text, beginning with the capital "D" on the recto, translates as:
Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me in thy strength.
O God, hear my prayer: give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen up against me; and the mighty have sought after my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes.
For behold God is my helper: and the Lord is the protector of my soul.
Turn back the evils upon my enemies; and cut them off in thy truth.
I will freely sacrifice to thee, and will give praise, O God, to thy name: because it is good:
For thou hast delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye hath looked down upon my enemies.

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: B+

One minute worm hole and light soiling.

Estimate: $110 - $140

Sold for: $140

Closed on 11/28/2012

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