Sales catalogue: Sotheby's

Date:
16 March 1925
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/20/636
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue: Sotheby's. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    26/92 page 16
    Lor 36—continued. II. Panel. The Baptism of Christ. In the centre Christ stands with folded hands in the stream, while St. John Baptist kneeling on the right pours water on His head, and on the left kneels an angel holding a robe. Above them is a scroll inscribed ‘‘ Hic est filius meus dilect’.”. Above are the Holy Dove and the Almighty crowned, blessing with the right hand and holding an orb in the left. The background is filled with stars. The border contains figures of an eagle, a wivern and three dogs amid sprays of foliage. This and the two preceding bindings (see note below) are ornamented with the same pair of stamps. Before the present binding was made however the panels were retouched. Extra tufts of herbage were introduced above the angel and St. Jobn, while the lines round the pictures and the borders were milled. The method of working the head and tail pieces and head bands are quite different and show the work of a different binder. ** [The two “preceding” bindings in Mr. Duff’s Manuscript catalogue were (i) N. de Orbellis Compendium. Paris, 1515, and (ii) Savonarola. Triumphus, Venice, 1504 (bound with three other works), q.v. in their alphabetical order in the present catalogue: cf. also Biblia Sacra Latina, Paris, 1516. Good impressions of the panels. One joint broken and a few small worm-holes through the lower cover. In a padded case. For reproductions of the panels in the earlier state see Holmes, Bindings in the Library at Windsor Castle, pls. 139 and 140, and the W. H. Corfield sale catalogue, Nov. 21, 1904, lot 127]. [See ILLUSTRATION. | 37 Calvin (Jean) In XII Prophetas minores (wmperfect : lower margin of some leaves frayed and wormed) for Jean Crespin. Geneva, 1567 Brown calf. Two rolls. Four bands. Binder R. B. I. Roll. Divided into four oblong compartments containing the Tudor badges, the rose, the pomegranate, the fleur-de-lys and the tower with portcullis. Each is under a canopy and surmounted by the royal crown. II. Roll. Divided intosix compartments. Three contain heads in circular medallions, two of men looking to the right, and one of a woman full faced. The other three contain formal renaissance floral ornament, at the base of one of these compartments are the binder’s initials R.B. The sides of the binding are ornamented with a broad border formed by the two rolls, and the centre space is filled with a diamond- shaped panel made with Roll I. ** [Binding loose and back defective. ] Weale, p. 150, no. 236.
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