Printed Book of Hours.- Tory (Geoffrey) Hore in laudem beatissime Virginis Marie, collation: a-r⁸ s⁴, 140ff., complete, printed in red and black, text printed in lettre bâtarde, 13 woodcut illustrations, printer's 'pot cassé' device on title, every page except 3 (2pp. privilege and colophon) within wonderful four-piece woodcut border in 26 distinct combinations, featuring flowers, birds, insects, animals, knots, urns etc. and in the lower block several coats-of-arms, including King Francois I, his mother Louise of Savoy, the King of Navarre Henri d'Albret and his queen (sister of Francois I), ruled in red, short repaired tear to b4, b5 and b6 just encroaching into border, small stain to title, light water-stain to margin of one leaf, 18^th century red morocco, gilt, green morocco spine labels, covers a little stained, extremities lightly rubbed, in modern morocco-backed cloth drop-back box, 4to (194 x 134mm.), Paris, Simon du Bois for Geoffrey Tory, 1527.

⁂ A handsome example of sixteenth century French printing, with the first use of these outline illustrations and decorative borders, called "a la moderne". Here Tory continues his innovation in design and his incorporation of the more accomplished Italian printing techniques into the French book. Of particular note are the use of a double-page in the depiction of the Annunciation, which results in the angel facing Mary from the opposite page, and the fully-inked crow and horse in the the Triumph of Death, which produces a more haunting effect.

Provenance: Karl Ferdinand Friedrich von Nagler (noted Prussian collector, monogram stamp in lower margin of title); Paul Harth (red morocco ex-libris label on front pastedown); H.P. Kraus (bookplate from the Stock and Reference Library on front pastedown); Royal Library and the Royal Museum in Berlin (ink stamp on title and recto of final leaf plus release stamp on verso).

Literature: Bohatta 330; Brun 232; Fairfax Murray French 279; Mortimer French 304.