Printed Book of Hours (Use of Rome); in Latin and French, illuminated imprint on parchment

BOOK DESCRIPTION: RARE PRINTED BOOK OF HOURS IN AN UNUSUAL FORMAT WITH VIBRANTLY PAINTED METALCUTS. In Latin and French, illuminated imprint on parchment, France (Paris), c. 1536 (almanac for 1536-1548). Dimensions 140 x 65 mm., 90 folios, octavo agenda format, complete, printed in black ink in Roman font in 32 long lines, 1- to 2-line initials throughout, 1 SIX-LINE METALCUT, 14 LARGE METALCUTS, printer's device set in architectonic liquid gold frame, all metalcuts hand-painted in bright colors with liquid gold. BINDING: late sixteenth- or seventeenth-century brown leather, gold tooled, with two sets of double fillets forming a narrow rectangular center panel and outer border, gild edges. ILLUSTRATION: This is a particularly appealing example of a printed Parisian Book of Hours with metalcuts that are so vibrantly and expertly painted that they are indistinguishable from illuminated miniatures. The palette features blue, red, orange, and green, with frequent use of liquid gold for highlights. PROVENANCE: Printed in Paris by Germain Hardouyn, with an almanac for the years 1536-1548, suggesting a date of printing c. 1536. It is a tiny book, in a distinctive and unusual format, very narrow and oblong, allowing for easy use as a vademecum for private devotion. The manuscript later belonged to a European Continental Collection. CONDITION: A few stains, sig. F4-6, loose, binding worn at joints and corners, but in overall good condition. Full description and images available. (BOH 180)