Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
96
A Book of Hours of Rouen with eight miniatures
The Estate of a Larchmont, New York Collector
[MANUSCRIPT]
[Book of Hours]. Manuscript in Latin and French on vellum. Northern France, likely Rouen, third or fourth quarter of the fifteenth century. Early eighteenth-century dark brown morocco with an elaborately gilt spine, covers with gilt rule border, two clasps; marbled paper pastedowns, vellum endleaves, all edges gilt; housed in a modern quarter red morocco box by the Chelsea Bindery. 6 7/8 x 5 inches (17.5 x 12.5 cm); 110 leaves, collating 112 28 34 4-78 82 9-108 114 12-158, leaves with 21 lines written in a well-formed textura quadrata; eight full-page miniatures within floral and gilt borders; nine floral borders on text leaves; seventeen large initials, hundreds of smaller initials and line-fillers, all in colors and gilt. Binding somewhat worn, with some scuffs and signs of worming, rebacked with original spine laid down. The top clasp is broken at the hook and does not close. Internally thumbsoiled, with slight rubbing to a few of the illuminations. The demon in the miniature for the Office of the Dead on 79r appears to have been intentionally defaced. Short marginal tear to leaf 78.
A finely illuminated Book of Hours, probably from Rouen. The calendar includes the feast of St. Romanus, the bishop of Rouen, in gilt letters, as well as other saints specifically venerated in Rouen, similarly highlighted. In addition, the chapter "Per te dei genetrix" in Prime (46r) is identifiable as of Rouen use.
The miniatures include: the Four Evangelists (13r), the Annunciation of Mary (25r), the Nativity (42v), David in prayer(59r), the Crucifixion (72v), Pentecost (75v), The Office of the Dead (79r, with psalm 116), and the Lamentation of Christ (103r). The Annunciation is enclosed by six small illuminations depicting six scenes from the life of the Virgin: (Meeting at the Golden Gate, Marriage, Visitation, Coronation, the Virgin Enthroned, Assumption of Mary) and three angels playing music on a recorder, a portative organ, and a harp.
The endleaves, as well as the final two blank leaves, contain genealogical notes on the Bernard de Trouhans family in the 17th and 18th centuries. A 17th-century user has left a few small annotations to the calendar.
Sold for $25,600
Estimated at $30,000 - $45,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
The Estate of a Larchmont, New York Collector
[MANUSCRIPT]
[Book of Hours]. Manuscript in Latin and French on vellum. Northern France, likely Rouen, third or fourth quarter of the fifteenth century. Early eighteenth-century dark brown morocco with an elaborately gilt spine, covers with gilt rule border, two clasps; marbled paper pastedowns, vellum endleaves, all edges gilt; housed in a modern quarter red morocco box by the Chelsea Bindery. 6 7/8 x 5 inches (17.5 x 12.5 cm); 110 leaves, collating 112 28 34 4-78 82 9-108 114 12-158, leaves with 21 lines written in a well-formed textura quadrata; eight full-page miniatures within floral and gilt borders; nine floral borders on text leaves; seventeen large initials, hundreds of smaller initials and line-fillers, all in colors and gilt. Binding somewhat worn, with some scuffs and signs of worming, rebacked with original spine laid down. The top clasp is broken at the hook and does not close. Internally thumbsoiled, with slight rubbing to a few of the illuminations. The demon in the miniature for the Office of the Dead on 79r appears to have been intentionally defaced. Short marginal tear to leaf 78.
A finely illuminated Book of Hours, probably from Rouen. The calendar includes the feast of St. Romanus, the bishop of Rouen, in gilt letters, as well as other saints specifically venerated in Rouen, similarly highlighted. In addition, the chapter "Per te dei genetrix" in Prime (46r) is identifiable as of Rouen use.
The miniatures include: the Four Evangelists (13r), the Annunciation of Mary (25r), the Nativity (42v), David in prayer(59r), the Crucifixion (72v), Pentecost (75v), The Office of the Dead (79r, with psalm 116), and the Lamentation of Christ (103r). The Annunciation is enclosed by six small illuminations depicting six scenes from the life of the Virgin: (Meeting at the Golden Gate, Marriage, Visitation, Coronation, the Virgin Enthroned, Assumption of Mary) and three angels playing music on a recorder, a portative organ, and a harp.
The endleaves, as well as the final two blank leaves, contain genealogical notes on the Bernard de Trouhans family in the 17th and 18th centuries. A 17th-century user has left a few small annotations to the calendar.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Apr 16, 2026
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Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
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Thomas Jefferson Letter Commenting on Toussaint Louverture Achieves $32,000
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 saw international competition drive strong results throughout the sale and a total that surpassed expectations.
Thomas Jefferson Letter on Toussaint Louverture
Highlighting the sale was a fascinating 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson as president to Maryland Governor John Francis Mercer that achieved a strong $32,000. The remarkable letter captures a rare, candid moment in which Jefferson assesses, with striking clarity, the arrest of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, by French General Charles LeClerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law. Jefferson perceptively warned that LeClerc’s actions would erode trust and likely spark further racial conflict—an insight that proved remarkably accurate. Beyond its sharp political foresight, the letter reflects the broader anxiety the Haitian Revolution provoked in the United States, which contributed to decades of diplomatic isolation of Haiti.
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
