Magnificent Illuminated Manuscript - Circa 1890's - Sermon on the Mount/Bible

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Magnificent Illuminated Manuscript - Circa 1890's - Sermon on the Mount/Bible:
$5700.00

The Sermon on the Mount. Blindstamped calf over wooden boards, brass clasp, gauffered edges. Calligraphic title leaf, 62 illuminated pages on 31 leaves, all interleaved with 2 blank pages between each illumination. This is a magnificent illuminated manuscript by a woman calligrapher and illuminator. This was a popular and socially acceptable artistic endeavor for women throughout the Victorian era. A good deal of the work, like this book, is of exceptional artistic merit. It is surprising to me that more scholarship has not been done on this topic. With this book, the text is written in black letter with many illuminated initial letters within a 2" x 1.25" block. The text is surrounded by an integrated red, blue, and gold border. The border itself is extended by rich floral decorations augmented with delicate birds, vases, fruits, jewels, mice, butterflies, and other images. These beautiful marginal designs are by L.H. Bloxam. On a blank after the title leaf is a presentation "Henrietta Bloxam from her Mother H.L. Bloxam." The artist was most probably a relation of the Gothic revivalist, Matthew Holbeche Bloxam (1805-1888). The quality of the manuscript must be seen to be appreciated. The ornate binding has been sympathetically res-pined, else very good.
Box 18