Paris was the epicenter of the production of printed books of Hours from 1485 to nearly 1550. Many of these imprints, like this rare example, consciously imitated illuminated manuscripts. In this particularly appealing volume over three dozen metalcuts are so vibrantly and expertly painted that they are practically indistinguishable from illuminated miniatures. Further illuminated borders added on blank parchment imitate grisaille cameos, as found in many Italian manuscripts, and suggest a woman commissioner who appears in three of the four borders. Later annotations prove this book to have been a prized possession in a French noble house for generations. 



A complete description is available upon request.