BINDING - COMMISSIONE for GIROLAMO PRIULI, as podest of Brescia, in Latin, MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Venice, c.1575] 225 x 165mm. 1 1 0, 210 leaves in gatherings of 10 (including 2 final blanks), COMPLETE, vertical catchwords on inner vertical ruling of final versos, single column of 21 lines written in brown ink on a ruling of 22 horizontals and 2 verticals ruled in brown, opening 4 lines written in liquid gold display capitals (water-staining to first 15 and final 7 leaves, some also with small losses or tears). Original brown morocco over pasteboard with gilt-lacquered sunk-panel ornamentation, each cover with an outer board formed of eight sunk panels, the central rectangle of each cover with centre- and corner-piece sunk-panels, the central panels with additional smaller pendant panels above and below, in the central panel of the upper cover the lion of St Mark, in the centre of the lower cover the arms of the Priuli family, the other panels with embossed floral and arabesque ornament coloured red, the spine in five panels each gilt with diagonally quartered hatching, edges gilt, remains of four pairs of red silk ties (pastedowns, endpapers and headbands renewed, some discolouration and darkening, corners worn, a few small wormholes in spine, joints split at head and worn at foot and raised bands). PROVENANCE: Girolamo Priuli: 'Tibi nobili viro Hieronimo Priolo dilecto civi et fideli nostro quod vads et sis de nostro mandato Potestas Brixia...' (f.1v) The Priuli were one of the principal families of Venice; their service and appointments to the Serenissima included three Doges, among them Lorenzo (1556-1559) and Girolamo (1559-1567), numerous Procurators of S. Marco, Senators and Ambassadors, Generals and Bishops. This is an example of the Persian-style sunk-compartment bindings that were used on Venetian commissione and dogali from around 1570 until after 1699. Though oriental in inspiration, they were no doubt produced by Italian craftsmen. 'The covers of sunk-compartment bindings are made up of two layers of board. The upper board is cut out in the pattern of the compartments, and glued onto the lower board. After the leather is stretched over, the boards are stamped with metal blocks in the shape of the cut-outs, the blocks being engraved with (usually) floral patterns, brought out in relief by the stamping process. The sunk ground of the compartments is impressed with gold laquer, and the floral patterns are picked out with added pigments.': P. Needham, Twelve Centuries of Bookbindings (New York, 1979), p.237. Since the technique is specialised and the blocks could be used only for this purpose, sunk-panel bindings were probably produced in only a few shops. Although bindings in the style are generally similar, there are small variations in the shape and ornamentation of the panels that would support classification of the bindings and identification of the individual blocks. The present binding closely resembles one of 1570 in the Pierpont Morgan Library, including the treatment of the spine (Needham, op.cit. , no 75) and one sold in these rooms 3 December 1997 (lot 137). Commissioni and Dogali were issued in the name of the Doge of Venice, in this case Alvise Mocenigo, to officials appointed by the state. The manuscripts typically contain copies of the letter of appointment and the laws, decrees and conditions pertaining to the position in question. Although the manuscripts were copied in standard form in the Venetian chancery, they were bound by their recipients, so that these documents provide a splendid series of closely dated examples illustrating the history of Venetian bookbinding from the late 15th to the mid-17th century. The present document is dated 6 March 1574 (1575 new style).
BINDING - COMMISSIONE for GIROLAMO PRIULI, as podest of Brescia, in Latin, MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Venice, c.1575] 225 x 165mm. 1 1 0, 210 leaves in gatherings of 10 (including 2 final blanks), COMPLETE, vertical catchwords on inner vertical ruling of final versos, single column of 21 lines written in brown ink on a ruling of 22 horizontals and 2 verticals ruled in brown, opening 4 lines written in liquid gold display capitals (water-staining to first 15 and final 7 leaves, some also with small losses or tears). Original brown morocco over pasteboard with gilt-lacquered sunk-panel ornamentation, each cover with an outer board formed of eight sunk panels, the central rectangle of each cover with centre- and corner-piece sunk-panels, the central panels with additional smaller pendant panels above and below, in the central panel of the upper cover the lion of St Mark, in the centre of the lower cover the arms of the Priuli family, the other panels with embossed floral and arabesque ornament coloured red, the spine in five panels each gilt with diagonally quartered hatching, edges gilt, remains of four pairs of red silk ties (pastedowns, endpapers and headbands renewed, some discolouration and darkening, corners worn, a few small wormholes in spine, joints split at head and worn at foot and raised bands). PROVENANCE: Girolamo Priuli: 'Tibi nobili viro Hieronimo Priolo dilecto civi et fideli nostro quod vads et sis de nostro mandato Potestas Brixia...' (f.1v) The Priuli were one of the principal families of Venice; their service and appointments to the Serenissima included three Doges, among them Lorenzo (1556-1559) and Girolamo (1559-1567), numerous Procurators of S. Marco, Senators and Ambassadors, Generals and Bishops. This is an example of the Persian-style sunk-compartment bindings that were used on Venetian commissione and dogali from around 1570 until after 1699. Though oriental in inspiration, they were no doubt produced by Italian craftsmen. 'The covers of sunk-compartment bindings are made up of two layers of board. The upper board is cut out in the pattern of the compartments, and glued onto the lower board. After the leather is stretched over, the boards are stamped with metal blocks in the shape of the cut-outs, the blocks being engraved with (usually) floral patterns, brought out in relief by the stamping process. The sunk ground of the compartments is impressed with gold laquer, and the floral patterns are picked out with added pigments.': P. Needham, Twelve Centuries of Bookbindings (New York, 1979), p.237. Since the technique is specialised and the blocks could be used only for this purpose, sunk-panel bindings were probably produced in only a few shops. Although bindings in the style are generally similar, there are small variations in the shape and ornamentation of the panels that would support classification of the bindings and identification of the individual blocks. The present binding closely resembles one of 1570 in the Pierpont Morgan Library, including the treatment of the spine (Needham, op.cit. , no 75) and one sold in these rooms 3 December 1997 (lot 137). Commissioni and Dogali were issued in the name of the Doge of Venice, in this case Alvise Mocenigo, to officials appointed by the state. The manuscripts typically contain copies of the letter of appointment and the laws, decrees and conditions pertaining to the position in question. Although the manuscripts were copied in standard form in the Venetian chancery, they were bound by their recipients, so that these documents provide a splendid series of closely dated examples illustrating the history of Venetian bookbinding from the late 15th to the mid-17th century. The present document is dated 6 March 1574 (1575 new style).
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
