OFICIO DIVINO PARA TODOS LOS DIAS DE FIESTA Y PRECEPTO EN LATIN Y CASTELLANO. NUEVA EDITION by [PUBLISHER'S BINDING - 19TH C. FRANCE]; [LUXURY RELIGIOUS BOOK]; CATHOLIC CHURCH - 1850: IN A SILVER-GILT WITH MINIATURE PORTRAIT; PRECURSOR COSWAY BINDING

Paris: Libreria de Belin-Leprieur et Morizot/Au. Laplace, 1850. First Edition. 12mo (5 x 4). pp. 552. Latin and Spanish Language.

Blue velvet binding mounted with identical silver-gilt* covers engraved with an elaborate gothic style frame and floral motifs on the front and rear boards; the front plate is inset with a oval gold-framed portrait of a young woman dressed in a turban and medieval clothing playing the harp likely painted in gouache on ivory. The spine is mounted with three filigree silver pieces; one each near the spine head and tail and one plate 2/5ths of the way from the head engraved with the title "Oficio Divino". Fore-edge with elaborate silver-gilt filigree work clasp with a central cross; white moiré silk eps; original purple ribbon marker; a.e.g.

*Note: we have been unable to find silver hallmarks or maker's marks on the covers, which may be on the verso of the covers and inaccessible; the thin gold layer is worn away from the silver in places from use.

Includes additional chromolithographic title page and 4 illuminated prayers as well as engraved frontis. and 5 additional full page engravings, with a green decorative border on each page of text.

Originally issued in 1846, the present work is a "New Edition" of a Latin and Spanish language edition of the Divine Office, or the Litergy of the Hours - the official set of Catholic prayers "marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer". This particular issue is for holidays and holy days and is presented in both Latin and Spanish.

The present book was issued and bound by Libreria de Belin-Leprieur et Morizot, a well-known 19th century publisher and purveyor of luxury religious books (1) that issued books of prayers, devotions and liturgies as well as missals and other religious texts in sumptuous bindings of silver, gold, silver-gilt, ivory, tortoise-shell, mother of pearl and combinations of these materials.

The present Oficio Divino was released in a number of the luxury bindings listed above, but our research was unable to uncover another instance of an inset miniature portrait binding. The present production was in conjunction with Au. Laplace, another French publisher of luxury religious books. Laplace would later become Laplace, Sanchez et Cie, which would eventually purchase Libreria de Belin-Leprieur et Morizot in 1868(2).

The present binding in notable for the glass covered portrait inset into the silver-gilt cover on the front board, which at first glance strongly resembles a Cosway binding. Although Cosway bindings have miniature portraits set in leather, and the present binding has the portrait set in a silver-gilt cover, it still could be considered an exemplar of a style Stonehouse of Southeran's was exposed to before his creation of Cosway bindings with C.B. Currie in 1912.

Prior to the present binding, the only two known precursor Cosway bindings were also produced in France - Exercice du Chrétien (Saumur: De l'Imprimerie de Francois-Paschal-Jean-Marie de Gouy) in 1774 (3) and Etrennes Historiques, ou Mélange Curieux d'Anecdotes Instructives & Nécessaires sur les Differens pays de l'Universe (Paris: Cailleau) in 1775 (4). The present 19th century publisher's binding is a likely intermediary step from the two earlier bindings toward the first Cosway binding created 62 years later.

Very good with the thin gold layer worn away from the silver-gilt in places from use; a narrow crack to the inner front hinge but binding is quite firm; light, isolated instances of foxing, with heavier foxing found on the verso and margins of the engraved illustrations and their tissue guards; dust to the inside of the glass protecting the portrait.

Exceptionally scarce - OCLC indicates 1 copy worldwide at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France - binding is unknown.

1. Fontaine, Jean-Paul (2016). La Descendance de François Belin (1748-1808), fondateur des Éditions Belin in Histoire de la Bibliophilie Blogspot 24 Mai 2016 (http://histoire-bibliophilie.blogspot.com/2016/05/la-descendance-de-francois-belin-1748.html). accessed 10.27.20

2. Necrologie dans Chronique Du Journal General De L'Imprimerie er de la Librairie 60e Annee 2e serie No. 25. (24 Juin 1871) p. 35

3. Gertz, Stephen J. (2011). Who is the Mystery Pre-Cosway Binding Binder? in Booktryst, January 20, 2011 (http://www.booktryst.com/2011/01/who-is-mystery-pre-cosway-binding.html). accessed 10.27.20

4. Ibid.