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[Paintings of Flowers, Butterflies, and Insects]

 
HOLLIS Number
Contributors
Le Moyne de Morgues, Jacques, -1588
Publication
[Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified], [between 1550 and 1570]

Description

Digital facsimile

[10] leaves, [8] leaves of plates : vellum, all col. ill. ; 11 cm.

Title supplied by cataloger.

Eight miniature paintings of common fruits, flowers, butterflies and other insects, on gold grounds within brown and gold borders framed in black. Paintings are on facing leaves.

First 5 and final 5 leaves are blank, except for blank leaf [9] recto which has a profile sketched in pencil with some decorative ornament drawn in surrounding space. Not contemporary with the flower drawings(?).

Contemporary French binding of brown morocco leather with gilt decorative tooling. Center of front and back covers have painted arms (rubbed) surmounted by a coronet, framed within a wreath of olive; remainder of covers decorated with a pattern of a monogram composed of the letters VI and alternating mouches of ermine; flat spine covered with the same monogram and the mouche of ermine. Arms of first owner too rubbed to be identifiable; on front cover they are quartered with a shield in presence; on back cover they are impaled and the sinister coat is a saltire-gules. This coat was borne by many French families of the period including Eschallier de Vernoilles, Gérente, Tour de la Rivière and Hozémont.

Provenance: Mlle Therèse Lequereux, with ownership inscription in very faint pencil on leaf [1] recto; Nicholas Hobart (or Robert?), with ownership inscription in very faint pencil below the preceding one; owner of unidentified armorial bookplate on p. [2] of cover depicting raised bent arm dressed in armor holding a quill, with star at upper left within shield and below a banner with the motto "excelsior"; C. W. Dyson Perrins, with his bookplate below the preceding bookplate.

 

Subject

Botanical illustration -- France -- Early works to 1800.; Natural history illustration -- France -- Early works to 1800.; Miniature painting -- France -- Early works to 1800.; Miniature painting, French -- Early works to 1800.; Illumination of books and manuscripts, French -- Specimens.; Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval -- Specimens.; Illumination of books and manuscripts -- Specimens.