A beautiful and fabulously ornate jewelled 17th-century binding, its boards, spine and clasps adorned with turquoises, amethysts, garnets, and (simulated) sapphires. It contains a popular French prayerbook entitled La journée du chrétien, which was added long after the completion of the binding itself. The prayerbook, published in numerous editions during the 19th century, is reminiscent of medieval and early modern books of hours. The work specifies the daily duties of Christians and includes devotional prayers.
It was for a long time part of the collection of the princes and rulers of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in what is now southwestern Germany. Their collection was exhibited in the Städel museum in Frankfurt in 1928 and the present binding is listed in the exhibition catalogue. The French prayer book was at one time part of the collection of the Stadtbibliothek Frankfurt, according to the blue stamp on the verso of the title page. The whole - binding and prayer book - were part of Cornelius John Hauck's bibliophile collection during the second half of the 20th century, which subsequently appeared at Christie's auction house New York in 2008.
With the bookplate of Cornelius J. Hauck on the verso of the first flyleaf, and a blue stamp of the "Stadtbibliothek Frankfurt am Main" on the back of the title page. With very slight foxing and stains in the gutter of the first few leaves, a brown stain in the gutter of pp. 24-27, and the Stadtbibliothek stamp bleeds through a bit to the title-page: otherwise internally fine and clean. The whole is in very good condition. WorldCat 467731356 (1 copy, BnF).