Hours, use of Rome.- Catholic Church. Hore christifere virginis marie secundum usum Romanum ... cum illius miraculis & figuris apocalipsis et biblianis cum triumphis cesaris, collation: A-E⁸ F² G⁶ H-N⁸ O⁶, in Latin, 'Batarde type 98' in 29-31 lines, title below large metalcut printer's device (Renouard 1105) all within ornate metalcut border, 14 whole-page and 12 other large metcalcut illustrations, all but those whole-page set within wide architectural or historiated metalcut borders, rubricated throughout in red and blue, with 1-2 line initials, manuscript single rule border in red throughout, 3 ff. of manuscript prayers in a contemporary hand in ink bound at end, mainly in French, scored through later ink ownership inscription to title foot, a few tiny splashes from rubrication, handsomely bound in nineteenth century red goatskin by Capé, covers with inlays of black and tan in an intricate design of interlacing bands and leafy sprigs all edged in gilt and surrounding the title (upper) and imprint (lower) lettered in gilt, spine in compartments similarly inlaid, with six raised bands, olive morocco doublures ornately tooled in gilt, g.e., housed within modern drop-back box, 4to (249 x 164mm.), Paris, Simon Vostre, 1508.

⁂ The superb Robert Hoe-Courtland F. Bishop-Mary S. Collins copy, with a distinguished provenance, of the most lavishly illustrated of Simon Vostre's quarto editions; known as the 'Grandes Heures' they are recognised as a highpoint of printed Paris horae for the abundance and intricacy of their graphic material. The fourteen whole-page illustrations of this edition, attributed to the workshop of Jean Pichore, form a complete new series for Vostre, only three having previously appeared.

Provenance: I: Marielaine du Varny, of Rosny (near Mantes, Seine-et-Oise) [signed inscription to end of manuscript prayers]. II: Robert Hoe (1893-1909) [morocco book label; lot 1683 in Part IV of his sale at Anderson Galleries (New York), 11th November 1912]. III: Courtland F. Bishop (1870-1935) [morocco book label; lot 1037 in his sale Part I, 25th April 1938]. IV: Mary S. Collins (1864-1948) [book label].