Creative Commons License
Binding for a Book of Hours
(18th and 19th Centuries )
The Paris firm of Gruel and Engelmann was known for its deluxe bookbindings. In this Gothic Revival example, the celebrated Paris jeweler Alexis Falize (1811-98) has created a relief showing the Adoration of the Magi, surrounded by fantastic animals derived from the amusing, marginal decoration found in some medieval manuscripts. The filigree and granular work is of exceptional quality. Since the binding does not contain a book, it may have been produced solely for the firm's display at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1878.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, between 1895 and 1931; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest [1]
[1] not accessioned to the Walters Art Museum until April 1991
Exhibitions
| 2014-2016 | From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2009 | The Saint John's Bible: A Modern Vision through Medieval Methods. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2002-2004 | A Magnificent Age: Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte. |
| 1999 | Falize: A Dynasty of Jewelers. Wartski. |
| 1996-1997 | Russian Enamels. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
France, Paris (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Overall: H: 6 7/8 × W: 4 3/4 × D: 1 9/16 in. (17.5 × 12 × 3.9 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters between 1895 and 1931, but not accessioned until April 1991
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.2167