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Senault, L. Heures nouvelles tirées de la Sainte Ecriture. Écrites et gravées par L. Senault. Paris, chez l'autheur et chez Cl. de Hansy, (after 1690). Engraved title and 260 beautifully engraved pages. 8vo. Very fine contemporary 'citron' morocco, elaborate blind-tooled border on both sides, back richly blind-tooled, blind-tooled inside dentelles, gilt edges, red silk linings. (# 4385)

Bonacini No. 1689. Jammes, Belles Écritures No. 40. Beautiful specimen of an entirely engraved book, one of the masterpieces of French calligraphy, by the calligrapher and engraver Louis Senault. The text of this devotional work, is engraved in cursive writing, each page surrounded by a double frame-line. Many pages are adorned with magnificent floriated and historiated initials, vignettes, and borders. Senault endeavoured to preserve in his engraved books the full flavour of a contemporary manuscript. "The elegant roman script of this book is ornamented with capitals framed by vignette landscapes or designs of birds and flowers. Calligraphic flourishes or floral designs frequently fill empty spaces at the bottom of a page. Prints by artists such as Israel Silvestre surely inspired the landscape vignettes which ornament the book" (Catalogue of the Exhibition 2000 Years of Calligraphy, Baltimore, 1965, No. 101). Second issue of the first edition, with the bosoms of the mermaids on p. 210 covered and without dedication. The book being originally dedicated to Madame la Dauphine of Bavaria, the mermaids with the uncovered bosoms were deemed indecent. The dedication was forbidden in the following issue. - With bookplate of Ambrosius Firmin Didot dated 1850, inside front-cover. An exceptionally beautiful copy in a very fine contemporary binding.