Printed Book Of Hours (Use Of Lyon), In Latin And French, Illustrated Imprint On Paper Philippe Pigouchet For Toussaint De Montjay -

RARE EDITION OF AN ILLUSTRATED PRINTED BOOK OF HOURS BY A FAMOUS PARISIAN BOOKSELLER AND ENGRAVER, In Latin and French, printed on paper, France (Paris), Philippe Pigouchet for Toussaint de Montjay, July 30, 1495 (dated colophon). Dimensions 166 x 110 mm., 92 folios, complete, printed in black ink in a type resembling Gothic bastarda script (type 64G, 80G, 130G) on 26 lines, FULL METALCUT BORDERS ON EVERY PAGE, TWENTY-NINE SMALL METALCUTS, NINETEEN FULL-PAGE METALCUTS including Pigouchet's printer's device. BINDING: Bound c. 1900 in blind-tooled light brown morocco over pasteboards, small coat of arms in the center. Leather slightly worn in corners, in overall excellent condition. TEXT: Only three copies of the edition are recorded in public collections: Paris, Bibliothèque de Mazarine, Inc 817-2; Hildesheim, former Dombibliothek (lacking the first leaf, see Ernst 1908-1909, vol. I,I, p. 164); Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Inc. 512. ILLUSTRATION: Illustrations were based on designs by the Master of the Grandes Heures Royales made around 1490 for Simon Vostre. A notable characteristic of this master's style is to place unusually large flowers in the background. The extensive marginal narratives include zodiac signs, labors of the months, Creation, Passion of Christ, Life of the Virgin and Life of Christ with typological readings from the Old Testament, animals, grotesques, birds, insects, plants and flowers. PROVENANCE: Printed in Paris by Philippe Pigouchet for the libraire Toussaint de Montjay; dated July 30, 1495in the colophon. Binding made c. 1900 for a modern prelate whose (invented?) arms are included on the front cover. Modern bookseller's marks in pencil on the pastedowns. CONDITION: Lacking the inner corner of the first leaf (sig. A), a small hole in the lower border of G7, tears on F4 and H2 and a few minor tears, water stains in the lower corners of C1-C4 and a few minor stains, worm holes in the upper margins of sig. L1-end (repaired on the last two leaves), overall in excellent condition. Full description and images available. (BOH 228)