[Book of Hours], Horae: ad usum Romanum, Venice, Aldo, 1497, nineteenth-century purple morocco gilt, Bühler’s variant B

[Book of Hours]. Horae beatiss. virginis secundum consuetudinem romanae curiae. Septem psalmi poenitentiales cum laetaniis & orationibus [Greek]. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, 5 December 1497

Most likely Renouard’s copy, and the Syston Park copy, of the first Aldine printing of a book of hours in Greek. Bühler’s variant B (without the 8 leaves of setting A). Exceedingly rare.

16mo (96 x70 mm). Greek and Roman type, 13 lines.

collation: α-ξ⁸ (α1 and α8 supplied in facsimile, ξ8 possibly supplied from another copy): 112 leaves. Engraved frontispiece, printed in red and black, decorated initials, headpieces. (Minor dampstaining and scattered foxing.)

binding: Nineteenth-century purple morocco (100 x 76 mm), covers with floral arabesque cornerpieces linked by three fillets and flanked by fillets, forming a frame enclosing a gilt Aldine device, purple morocco with gilt frame containing gilt oval each formed by three fillets, spine titled in gilt surrounded by gilt border, all edges gilt, vellum endpapers. (Front free- endpaper detached and loosely inserted, a bit rubbed, with exposure at corners and head and tail of spine.)

provenance: Probably Antoine-Augustin Renouard (1765-1853), without his inventory number — probably R.H. Evans London, 26-30 June 1828, lot 318 — probably Payne & Foss, London, purchased in previous sale — Sir John Hayford Thorold, 10th Bt. (1773-1831) — Sir John Henry Thorold, 12th Bt. (1842-1922); his sale, Sotheby's London, 12-19 December 1884, lot 966 — F.S. Ellis, London, purchased in previous sale — Sotheby's New York, 10 October 1972, lot 338. acquisition: Purchased at Sotheby's New York by T. Kimball Brooker. references: UCLA 17; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 19; BMC V 558 (IA 24448); Goff H391; GW 13396; ISTC ih00391000; Renouard 15/13