A Note on Provenance and binding

 

This vellum copy of Anthoine Vérard's Hore beate virginis Marie ad usum Sarum came to the Royal Library of Copenhagen from the library of the Danish Count Otto Thott (1703-85), who had willed all his books printed before 1531 (and all his manuscripts) to the Royal Library. Thott's collection - by far the largest private library ever to have existed in Denmark – bore witness to the owner's interest in rare and precious books. Through the London book dealer Thomas Osborne, he had made extensive acquisitions from the famous Harley Library in England. This collection had been founded by Robert Harley (1661-1724) and continued by his son Edward Harley (1689-1741), after whose death the printed books were purchased by Thomas Osborne. Among the books Thott acquired via Osborne from the Harley collection was Vérard’s Hore beate virginis Marie ad usum Sarum.

The book bears one of the characteristic marks of Harley provenance: The top right corner of the first fly-leaf – where probably Harley’s owner mark had been found – has been cut off, and below is written Osborne’s price, or rather the lowest price he was willing to accept, in this case 3-3-0 (3 pounds and 3 shillings).

It is bound in brown stippled calf with gold decorations on the back and edges stippled with red. The spine is divided into six compartments, the title compartment being in red morocco with letters in gold: HORE BE / VIRGINI(S). Presumably the binding dates from around 1700 and was made before Harley acquired the book.

The book measures 22,3 x 15,8 cm

 

References:

C. Molbech: Fortegnelse over de paa Pergament trykkede Bøger i det store Kongelige Bibliothek (København 1830) (p. 15, no. 19).

 

Catalogus Bibliothecæ Thottianæ, vol. VII. (København 1795). (p. 144, no . 467).

 

Catalogus Bibliothecæ Harleianæ, vol. IV (London: Thomas Osborne 1744). (p. 522, no. 10176).

 

Ruth Bentzen: “Lord Harley og Grev Thott. En studie i nogle af Det kongelige Biblioteks bind og bøger fra Thotts og Harleys bogsamlinger.” (Unpublished study on Harley books in The Royal Library of Copenhagen).