Description
Original made at the beginning of the 16th century and preserved in the Biblioteca Civica Berio in Genoa, Italy. (m.r. C.f. Arm. I). Italian edition belonging to the project of The Impossible Library of the publisher Franco Cosimo Panini. A 5 star in every great Library!
The Durazzo Book of Hours, a treasure of purple and gold, named for the name of its last owner, is a small and luxurious masterpiece by the painter and miniature artist Francesco Marmitta. It is a surprising work that is distinguished from all other devotional codices intended for private use by two peculiar characteristics: the use of purple parchment and chrysography, that is, writing with gold characters, traced in this case by a master of the art of calligraphy, Pietro Antonio Sallando, professor at the University of Bologna.
The goldsmith of the illuminated page: a splendid and sumptuous artist, also gifted as a goldsmith and carver, the Parmesan Francesco Marmitta (1462/1466 – c. 1505) captured his skills in superb works, including, in addition to the Durazzo Book of Hours , the beautiful Missal of Domenico della Rovere of the Civic Museum of Turin. In the pages of his masterpieces, in addition to displaying a delicate sensibility and remarkable landscaping skills, he also showed his predilection for gems, medals and cameos, illuminated with great exquisiteness.
A wonderful decoration: the thoughtful recovery of the classical tradition, evident in the use of purple and gold letters, is confirmed by the ornamental lexicon made up of panoplies, medals, cameos and bucrania, while the pictorial language of the Calendar and of the Offices of the Virgin reveals an update of the style with the latest acquisitions of Bolognese figurative culture, denoting a particular attention to Amico Aspertini.
The Refined Binding: The elegant and elaborate binding of chiselled and embossed silver with gilt zones on a purple velvet background dates from the same period as the codex, sharing with it decoration of similar taste. The profusion of motifs with classical reminiscences based on palmettes, acanthus leaves, ears of corn, grape clusters, vases, masks, beetles and bucraniums is splendid. Two small rubies are set in the silver clasps.
Facsimile made in 2008 in a limited edition of 980 copies, numbered and certified. Bound in fine red velvet with silver and gilt silver fittings and irons on both covers, 2 silver clasps with rubies. Small format 12 x 16 cm, very luxurious. 432 pages.
The work is accompanied by a volume of commentaries by Andrea De Marchi, with contributions from Beatrice Bentivoglio-Ravasio, Andrea De Marchi, Davide Gasparotto, Laura Malfatto, Laura Nuvoloni, and Federica Toniolo. Fine red velvet binding with gilding, 15.5 x 21.7 cm format. 336 pages, texts in Italian.
Both volumes presented in a beautiful chest-case lined in fine red velvet, format 32.2 x 24 x 11.3 cm, inside which are the facsimile and the study. Very practical to give as a gift. In perfect state.
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