Second known copy, apparently the only known copy printed on vellum, of a Paris book of hours in Latin, probably published in 1511 (the almanac and calendar for 20 years covers the years 1511 to 1530), the only known book of hours printed by Thomas Kees (or Caseus) from Wesel in the Rhine valley, recorded as a printer in Paris from 1507 to 1516. The illustrations are finely cut, many with criblée backgrounds, and many are thought to have been printed from metal relief blocks, rather than woodcuts. Most of the small illustrations in the text depict saints. The illustrations in the border strips include scenes from the Old and New Testament, dance of death scenes, apostles, saints, scenes from daily life, fantastic beasts and more. The large illustrations may have been cut for Antoine Vérard ca. 1503 to 1507.
The work was rebound by Hardy-Mennil in Paris, ca. 1870. Little is known about Hardy himself. "Mennil" is not separately recorded. He used the name Hardy-Mennil by 1864 and was certainly a celebrated binder by 1868, when the books he bound were often gold-tooled by one of the most famous finishers of all time, Jean Michel (1821-1890).
Possibly from the great library assembled by Robert Harley (1661-1724), first Earl of Oxford, chief advisor to Queen Anne, and his son Edward Harley (1689-1741), which descended to Edward's daughter Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (1715-1785), Duchess of Portland, many of whose printed books were sold in London 1816-1817.
Trimmed close to the decorative borders at the head, shaving a border on 1 page and just touching a few others, with a tiny chip slightly affecting the corner of another border, but generally in very good condition, the binding fine. Bohatta 932; French vernacular books 67388 (BN Paris copy only); KVK & WorldCat (BN Paris copy only); Moreau II, 115 (p. 83) (BN Paris copy only); Van Praet, Cat. Livres imprimés sur vélin ... bibl. Tant publiques que particulières I (1824), 176? (citing Bibl. Harl. 18352, possibly the present copy); Robins, Bibliotheca Harleiana: a catalogue of ... the Harleian Library 18352 (vol. IV (1817), p. 781)? (not seen, possibly the present copy); Ludwig Rosenthal, Bibliotheca evangelico-theologica, cat. 70, part 7, [1892?], p. 96 (not seen, possibly the BN Paris or the present copy); Tenschert, Horae B.M.V.: 158 Stundenbuchdrucke der Sammlung Bibermühle (2003) 80 (lacking title-page & 2 text ll.); USTC 183113 (BN Paris copy only); cf. Davis, \Fairfax Murray (French) 253-259 & table on p. 289; (very similar illustrations in Pigouchet eds. 1496-ca. 1508); MacFarland, Antoine Vérard, table on p. 133 (the present illustrations in Vérard eds. 1503-1511); Mortimer, Harvard French 295 (ca. 1507 Hardouyn ed., noting the present illustrations in a 1510 Vérard ed.); not in Alston & Hill, Books printed on vellum in ... the British Library; Brunet; Graesse; Paul Lacombe, Livres dheures imprimés (1907); Van Praet, Cat. livres imprimés sur vélin ... Bibl. Du Roi; for the binder Hardy and finisher Marius-Michel: Fléty, pp. 120-121, 183.