Beschreibung:

[CHURCH SLAVONIC]. Potrebnik Inocheskii. [Book of Prayers for Monks]. [Moscow: Pechatnyi Dvor, 1639]. Monastic book of prayers, in a Russian binding. It was published in Moscow in 1639 by the Pechatnyi Dvor – the printing house where the first book in Cyrillic movable type was produced in 1564. Unlike the one published in the same year for the lay community, this Trebnik included rites solely for use in monasteries, such as tonsure or prayers for deceased monks. The binding decoration is reminiscent of the panel design used at the bindery of the Trinity-St Sergius Monastery; it also bears small rectangular stamps for the title as used in the 17th century at the Moscow printing house. RBH records no other copies having been offered at auction. Zernova 145; Pozdeeva 296. Klepikov, ‘Russian Bookbinding’, p. 422; Mayhew, ‘Banning “Spiritual Brotherhoods”’, p. 87. Small folio (290 x 185mm). ff. [534] (against 552 ff. in Zernova), in red and black, woodcut initial and ornaments (occasional thumb marks, very minor marginal spotting, the odd ink splash, small worm trail to lower blank margin of last four leaves, small hole to first quire just touching text, few leaves missigned, one strengthened at gutter). Later calf, bevelled wooden boards, double gilt ruled to a panel design, upper board with gilt floral rolls, small fleurons, lozenge-shaped centrepiece and title stamps, lower with gilt arabesque rolls within grille de St Laurent, all edges gilt and gauffered (gilt oxidized, wanting two clasps, boards rubbed, substantial loss to spine, less to extremities, with minor repair, end bands replaced). Provenance: occasional early annotations or editorial corrections.