HOURS. These Hours for use in Romme […]. Paris, Philippe Pig

HOURS. These Hours for use in Romme […]. Paris, Philippe Pigouchet for Simon Vostre, August 8, 1497. Gothic in-8, 90 unnumbered folios signed a-k8 l10, bound in red morocco leather with Du Seuil-style decoration and an ornate spine (17th-century binding). An extremely rare incunabulum edition of which only 6 copies are listed in institutional collections according to GW and ISTC (3 in France, 1 in the United States, and 2 in the United Kingdom). (GW, no. 13198; Lacombe, nos. 41–42.) Printed in Gothic type by Philippe Pigouchet, whose large printer’s mark appears on the title page, it is adorned with 13 full-page engravings, including that of the anatomical man. This illustration is complemented by several small vignettes depicting the life of Christ and portraying saints, by attractive historiated borders framing the text, and by a cycle of the Dance of Death for men and women in 66 vignettes. Calendar covering twenty years, from 1488 to 1508. Copy on vellum, rubricated, with initials painted on a red or blue background, several of which have faded or are partially erased. The volume is generally soiled; the title page is creased, and there are holes in the margins, particularly on folios f8 and g1. The copy is housed in a 17th-century binding. Expert: Mr. Dominique Courvoisier