Description

CHARMING EARLY 20th CENTURY BOOK OF HOURS, FULLY MANUSCRIBED AND FULLY ENLUMINATED for Madeleine de Sèzze, née Medeleine le Segretain (Laval: 29 October 1865 - Saint Fraimbault-de-Prières: 23 January 1949), wife of Fernand de Sèze.

Includes 75 double-sided sheets divided into 11 bookletseach in numbered covers, together with 4 unfinished leaves or test leaves containing only a border or a miniature. 1 blank leaf.
The first booklet (unnumbered) includes, in a section entitled "dates and memories", some information about the owner of the work: marriage, dates of birth and communion of his five children, death of his father-in-law...

The illuminations in the first booklets are based on the medieval tradition, which was revived in the 19th century. But from Book 4 onwards, new motifs made their appearance: animals and insects, executed in black and white (bats, snails, eagles, wild boars, lions, chameleons, cicadas, etc.), appear alongside art-nouveau-inspired floral decorations, architectural landscapes executed in perspective (Chenonceau castle, Mont Saint Michel, Escurial palace, etc.), Egyptian scenes (Bedouins with camels, sphinxes, etc.), and the most exquisite paintings....), Egyptian scenes (Bedouins with camels, sphinxes...) and, even more curiously, representations of various more or less modern means of transport: Viking drakkar, sailing ship, ocean liner, train...

Some compositions in gold.

Rare document.