One of the finest grolieresque Bindings of the 16th Century: Cratander Bible, painted and gilt by Jean Picard c. 1540-45
Biblia latina Sacra Biblia ad LXX interpretum fidem diligentissime tra(ns)lata.
Basle, Andreas Cratander, [August] 1526.
6 unnumbered leaves, 443 numbered leaves, 1 leaf.
Title and final leaf with printer’s device by Jacob Faber after Hans Holbein, large metalcut after Holbein by Jacob Faber opening text, numerous historiated initials from Holbein’s metalcut alphabets. Double columns, ruled in red, capitals marked in yellow.
Quarto (223 × 144 mm).
Contemporary Parisian painted „entrelac“ binding of c. 1540-45: black crushed morocco by Jean Picard, the most prolific of Jean Grolier’s binders, covers decorated in renaissance style with fillets interlacing and looping to form an elaborate geometrical frame painted yellow, green and red, foliate ornaments in the corners, outer frame of two pairs of double fillets and foliate border, the centre with six-pointed star and foliate ornaments, spine with six large double raised bands and two small raised bands, compartments gilt with foliate and geometrical ornaments, edges gilt and tooled „au pointillé“ in renaissance design with “BIBLIA” tooled on the fore-edge.
The very rare first separate Edition of the Latin translation of the Septuagint
in a magnificent painted Binding by Jean Picard
This is an extraordinary copy of the exceedingly rare first separate edition of the Latin translation of the Greek Septuagint, printed by Andreas Cratander in Basle. Our copy is ennobled and transcended by a splendid painted binding by Jean Picard, chief bookbinder of Jean Grolier (1479-1565), the greatest bibliophile of all times. Picard was active between 1539 and 1547 and has also worked at the French royal bindery.
Bindings with comparable decoration, although without additional colours, made for Grolier in the workshop of Jean Picard include a binding on the Gafori of 1518 in the John Rylands Library and the Navagero of 1530 from Chatsworth Library (British Museum, Bookbindings from the Library of Jean Grolier, 1965, nos. 78 & 79; see illustrations below). The floral border and the unusual spine with 6 large double raised bands and two smaller raised bands at either end is found also on a Grolier binding in the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Paris (Hobson, Maioli, Canevari and Others, p. 32/33, pl. 2 & 21).
Provenance: Autograph ownership inscription „Remy Ayral”, dated 1584, pastedowns with inscriptions and calligraphic doodles by the same hand (dated 1605 on the lower pastedown). Dedication from Françoys Ayral to Mme de Mortemar (abbess of Fontevrault in the 17th century) . Vente Capé (Paris, Potier, 27 January 1868) no. 1 (price 305 gold Francs, lacking title: was there a name written on it?), sold to G. Gancia (his cat. Paris, Bachelin-Deflorenne, 1868, no. 2.: „Cette reliure est tout ce qu’on peut voir de plus parfait“). Ricardo Heredia, Vol. I, Paris, 22.-30. 5. 1891, No. 14: 495 gold Francs to Belin who had the calligraphic title leaf replaced by a genuine one after the sale. Kundig, Geneva, sale 105 (27-29 March 1950) no. 16: sfr. 3.600. Bookplate of Gérard de Miribel, sale 1993, 10: frs. 95.000. French private collection.
Literature: Adams B 1005; Bibliotheca Sussexiana I/2, p. 386, Nr. 78 ("of considerable rarity"; BM STC German 92; Brunet I, 875; Copinger p. 95 ("exceedingly rare"); Delavau/Hillard 1498; VD 16 B 2887.
This book has been described in great detail in our catalogue 90 “Wunderkammer”, lot 76. Click here to view the eCatalogue or order the printed version in our Online Shop.
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