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Auction archive: Lot number 34

BEROSUS ( fl. 300BC), Chaldean History , in French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM

Auction 07.06.2006
7 Jun 2006
Estimate
£30,000 - £45,000
ca. US$55,268 - US$82,902
Price realised:
£48,000
ca. US$88,429
Auction archive: Lot number 34

BEROSUS ( fl. 300BC), Chaldean History , in French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM

Auction 07.06.2006
7 Jun 2006
Estimate
£30,000 - £45,000
ca. US$55,268 - US$82,902
Price realised:
£48,000
ca. US$88,429
Beschreibung:

BEROSUS ( fl. 300BC), Chaldean History , in French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Paris, 1505-6]245 x 172 mm, 82 leaves: 1 4 (i-ii bifolio, i current pastedown, ii former lower pastedown; iii-iv bifolio, iii former upper pastedown glued to ii), 2 6, 3-9 8, 10 8(viii current pastedown), COMPLETE, written in brown ink in a rounded humanistic bookhand in 19 lines between two verticals and 2 horizontals ruled in red, justification: 137 x 70 mm, additional double vertical rulings in some outer margins for side headings, rubrics in red, line endings and paragraph marks in liquid gold on grounds of maroon or blue, 45 LARGE INITIALS IN LIQUID GOLD AND COLOURS WITH SCROLLS EXTENDING INTO THE MARGINS, some staves formed of beasts and dragons, some grounds enclosing birds, others with flower and foliate designs, SIX LARGE INITIALS WITH FULL BORDERS of beasts, birds, flowers or fruit on liquid gold grounds or divided grounds of liquid gold and panels of red or blue acanthus enclosing initials and mottoes, FIVE PAGES OF GENEALOGICAL TABLES in colours and liquid gold, ONE FULL-PAGE MINIATURE IN A CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURAL FRAME IN LIQUID GOLD (miniature frame rubbed and slightly trimmed, facing text and border slightly rubbed, some paint losses from miniature). Rebound in early 19th-century speckled brown morocco in 17th-century style, spine gilt in deven compartments with lettering piece, original pastedowns lifted (joints and extremities lightly rubbed). THE LIVRE D'AMOUR OF ANNE MALET DE GRAVILLE PROVENANCE: 1. Anne Malet de Graville (c.1490-1540): the prologue dedicates the book 'A vous madamoiselle Anne de graville', who appears in the facing miniature, identified by the arms of her father, the bibliophile Louis Malet de Graville (c.1448-1516), and by the motto over her head IEN GUARDE UN LEAL, which, if spelt GARDE is an anagram of her name. Two other mottos appear in the miniature and, with her initial A, in the borders: non plus amour and a autre non , apparently those of her cousin and future husband, Pierre de Balsac, seigneur d'Etrangues (d. c.1530), with whom she eloped in 1506. In the conclusion he expresses the wish to be her servant 'et a aultre non', making a pleasing play between her initial and à . Anne later formally inscribed her name with the date 1518 on the original upper pastedown, above his autograph dedication 'Tout pour le myeulx votre bon cousin et amy cest moy'. In the prologue, he explains that since, against all reason, divine, natural and human, he has brought her such sorrow -- through her father's irrational hostility to their love -- he has made this translation from Latin into French to ease her heart by 'doulce consolacion' and for honour and love of her at love's command. In the miniature, a winged Amor guides the hand giving her the book and in the colophon he names the book le livre d'amour . On what was formerly the lower pastedown, Anne de Graville added an intriguingly personal autograph note 'Memoire que je me souvienne de ce qui mavint le samedy huitieme novembre lissant dedans mon lit a annet', that she should remember what happened to her while she was reading in her bed at Anet on 8 November. Anne seems never to have regretted her choice and the couple had eleven children. The romance of their story is intensified by the knowledge that Anne herself became a poet, best known for Le beau romant des deux amants , a rhymed version of Boccaccio's Theseida , dedicated to the Queen of France, Claude; the Queen's presentation copy is now in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Ms 5116. Her authorship of poems commenting on Alain Chartier's Belle dame sans mercy is attested by her anagram motto, Paris, BnF, Ms fr. 2553 . In 1510, about four years after her elopement, Anne made peace with her father, although at the cost of renouncing part of her inheritance. After his death, she did succeed in being largely reinstated and inherited many of his books. The inscription of her name with the same date of 15

Auction archive: Lot number 34
Auction:
Datum:
7 Jun 2006
Auction house:
Christie's
7 June 2006, London, King Street
Beschreibung:

BEROSUS ( fl. 300BC), Chaldean History , in French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Paris, 1505-6]245 x 172 mm, 82 leaves: 1 4 (i-ii bifolio, i current pastedown, ii former lower pastedown; iii-iv bifolio, iii former upper pastedown glued to ii), 2 6, 3-9 8, 10 8(viii current pastedown), COMPLETE, written in brown ink in a rounded humanistic bookhand in 19 lines between two verticals and 2 horizontals ruled in red, justification: 137 x 70 mm, additional double vertical rulings in some outer margins for side headings, rubrics in red, line endings and paragraph marks in liquid gold on grounds of maroon or blue, 45 LARGE INITIALS IN LIQUID GOLD AND COLOURS WITH SCROLLS EXTENDING INTO THE MARGINS, some staves formed of beasts and dragons, some grounds enclosing birds, others with flower and foliate designs, SIX LARGE INITIALS WITH FULL BORDERS of beasts, birds, flowers or fruit on liquid gold grounds or divided grounds of liquid gold and panels of red or blue acanthus enclosing initials and mottoes, FIVE PAGES OF GENEALOGICAL TABLES in colours and liquid gold, ONE FULL-PAGE MINIATURE IN A CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURAL FRAME IN LIQUID GOLD (miniature frame rubbed and slightly trimmed, facing text and border slightly rubbed, some paint losses from miniature). Rebound in early 19th-century speckled brown morocco in 17th-century style, spine gilt in deven compartments with lettering piece, original pastedowns lifted (joints and extremities lightly rubbed). THE LIVRE D'AMOUR OF ANNE MALET DE GRAVILLE PROVENANCE: 1. Anne Malet de Graville (c.1490-1540): the prologue dedicates the book 'A vous madamoiselle Anne de graville', who appears in the facing miniature, identified by the arms of her father, the bibliophile Louis Malet de Graville (c.1448-1516), and by the motto over her head IEN GUARDE UN LEAL, which, if spelt GARDE is an anagram of her name. Two other mottos appear in the miniature and, with her initial A, in the borders: non plus amour and a autre non , apparently those of her cousin and future husband, Pierre de Balsac, seigneur d'Etrangues (d. c.1530), with whom she eloped in 1506. In the conclusion he expresses the wish to be her servant 'et a aultre non', making a pleasing play between her initial and à . Anne later formally inscribed her name with the date 1518 on the original upper pastedown, above his autograph dedication 'Tout pour le myeulx votre bon cousin et amy cest moy'. In the prologue, he explains that since, against all reason, divine, natural and human, he has brought her such sorrow -- through her father's irrational hostility to their love -- he has made this translation from Latin into French to ease her heart by 'doulce consolacion' and for honour and love of her at love's command. In the miniature, a winged Amor guides the hand giving her the book and in the colophon he names the book le livre d'amour . On what was formerly the lower pastedown, Anne de Graville added an intriguingly personal autograph note 'Memoire que je me souvienne de ce qui mavint le samedy huitieme novembre lissant dedans mon lit a annet', that she should remember what happened to her while she was reading in her bed at Anet on 8 November. Anne seems never to have regretted her choice and the couple had eleven children. The romance of their story is intensified by the knowledge that Anne herself became a poet, best known for Le beau romant des deux amants , a rhymed version of Boccaccio's Theseida , dedicated to the Queen of France, Claude; the Queen's presentation copy is now in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Ms 5116. Her authorship of poems commenting on Alain Chartier's Belle dame sans mercy is attested by her anagram motto, Paris, BnF, Ms fr. 2553 . In 1510, about four years after her elopement, Anne made peace with her father, although at the cost of renouncing part of her inheritance. After his death, she did succeed in being largely reinstated and inherited many of his books. The inscription of her name with the same date of 15

Auction archive: Lot number 34
Auction:
Datum:
7 Jun 2006
Auction house:
Christie's
7 June 2006, London, King Street
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