Lot 570
A VERY FINE SPANISH DAMASCENED IRON BOOK COVER, ALVAREZ, TOLEDO, CONTAINING A BOOK OF HOURS PRINTED BY GRUEL AND ENGELMANN, PARIS, 1875.  The hinged metal covers and spine profusely decorated in gilt and silver inlay. The front cover with a cross set within a central medallion amidst decorative repeating patterns. The back cover with similar design displaying a cross, the implements of the Passion and the Latin letters IHS, abbreviating the name Jesus. The spine also similarly decorated with repeating patterns and the hinged clasps signed in gilt, ALVAREZ TOLEDO. The interior containing a Petites Heures, printed in color lithograph with illustrations and script in the XVI century taste and with French text. Profusely illustrated with faux hand illuminated images and text pages, gilt tipped pages and moiré silk end sheets. 160 printed pages plus an additional 90 blank bound pages. Page 160 with publishers imprint, Noms des Collaborators Engelmann et Graf imprimaturs chromolithographs, 12, rue de l’Abbaye a Paris, Ed. Moreau, peintre miniaturiste, A. Pralon, dessinateur chromolithographed, Gruel-Engelmann, editeur 35, rue Boissy d’Anglais a Paris 1875. In excellent condition. 4.75 inches x 3.5 inches (12 x 9 cm).
Estimate:  $400 - 700   € 280 - 490

Price Realized: $500.00

Literature:
See Vicaire, Georges, Manuel de l’amateur de livres du XIX siècle, 1801-1893, Paris, 1894, page 561, which lists this book as being based on a 16th century book of hours belonging to Henry II.

The firm Gruel and Engelmann is synonymous with the art of master book binding of the 19th and early 20th century in France. Founded in 1811, the firm developed a specialty for producing exquisite bindings for ecclesiastical works and later became noted also for the work in the new art of color lithograph printing. In 1875, Leon Gruel, took over the running of his father's firm jointly with his half-brother, Jean Engelmann; the latter died in 1891. Léon worked and lived until 1923 when he, in turn, was succeeded by his son, Paul, who died in 1954, at the age of ninety. For a time the house of Gruel in the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré was continued by his collaborator, but eventually the atelier was closed, maintaining only the show room in which housed the remaining historical bindings from Léon's superb collection. Eventually these, too, were sold off.