Antique Religious Paroissien Romain French Missel

The gilded, painted, incised page edges are reminiscent to renaissance bindings of earlier times. The binding still retains it's original heavy metal clasp, gilded metal cover board edgings, exquisite page edge designs and blind stamped front cover board design. It was published in 1886 in Tours by the renowned Alfred Mame et Fils company.

The devotional French text includes: a table of times and fetes, prayers, "ordinaires, commun (de matin), fete de Saint Sacrament", patronage of Joseph, nativity of Jesus, the "annonciation" as well as the exercises on the chemin de la croix. The text is written in Latin on the left and French on the right. There is a handsome frontispiece engraving.

The binding is glorious. The cover boards are of deep black brown leather (over hard paper board) which is textured with tiny diamond shapes. There is a blind stamped oval laurel leaf frame on the front board. Inside this is another frame with a fleur de lis at the top. A very simple cross stands in the center of the frames. Rounded edge metal cover board ends mount to the edges of both boards. The back cover is embellished with the tiny blind stamped diamonds. The spine has a blind stamped title plate, "Paroissien Romain". It is stamped as well with tiny diamond shapes. There is professional repair/reinforcement to the spine edges. The interior end papers are marbled.

The pages are gilded with a hand applied incised design of ovals and scrolls. There are flowers painted by tiny navy dots and leaves of red throughout the scrolling field. The clasp is of a heavy gilded metal in a circular shape with flowers and leaves on the interior.

It measure: 4 7/8" x 3" x 1 1/4" thick. It is in very good and solid antique condition: the hinge works and closes properly, the gilded page design is intact with the original brilliant patina. The text remains clear. There is professional reinforcement to the spine edges as stated above.

It is outstanding French Paroissien, published by a very revered French company which specialized in very beautiful and exquisite bindings.