HOUTE, DAMIANUS VAN DEN Hortulus animae. Dat is, der sielen bogaert, met sonderlinge neersticheyt vernieut ende vermeerdert, overgheset wt den hoochduytsch in onse nederlantsche tale, door H.D. vanden Houte: tot troost van alle liefhebbers der Christelijcker devotie. [copy:] Ant

Beschrijving

Cont. blindstamped calf leather with 6 (of 8) decorated messing cornerpieces, two square central pieces on both covers and two carefully restored clasps and catches. At the upper site of the covers two chain attachments, where a chain could be attached to carry the book. Both covers of the professionally restored binding are decorated with frames of flowers, lines and little portraits of saints. Beautiful early 17th-century binding, possibly originating from a (Belgian ?) monastery. 8o: pi 8 A – Hh 8 I 4, foliated: [8], CCXLVIII, [4]. Title printed in red and black. With 12 small woodcuts of the months and many woodcut text illustrations, 4 of which signed with the monogram HCvS, probably referring to Hans Christoffel van Sichem. With a 18th-century ownership mark by Martinus Martinus Jacobs, woende in den ee vent [convent?] tot Mechelen (dated 1713). The hortulus animae [little garden of the soul] was a popular prayer book, both in Latin and other languages in the sixteenth century. The first known edition was printed at Strasburg by William Schaffener of Rappeltsweiler in 1498. After that year new editions with various supplements and modifications were constantly issued by other printers. The present Dutch adaptation was made by the Belgian dominican author Damianus van den Houte (? – after 1577), and originally published in 1552. The popularity of this Dutch version is shown by the number of editions that followed, many of which were printed in Antwerp. In 1584 an edition appeared with woodcuts by Arnold Nicolai, which were used again in subsequent editions, i.g. the edition printed in 1606 by Jan van Keerberghen. The present copy, however, is printed after that Antwerp edition and is in fact printed later. The woodcuts by Nicolai are replaced by others, such as a series a woodcuts of the months which may well have been intended for use in a small type of almanac. Four of the other woodcuts are signed with the monogram HCvS, which bears great resemblance tot the well known monogram of Christoffel van Sichem. This monogram in no to be found in Nagler or any other of the usual reference works. However, a son of Christoffel van Sichem I by the name of Hans Christoffel van Sichem (born Johannes Christophorus in Basel, ca. 1580) was active in Leiden in the early 17th century. In 1603 he calls himself figuersnijder [woodcutter]. Forster suggests that he worked with his father and two other brothers (Christoffel II and Carel van Sichem) in some kind of a family company, first in Leiden and later in Amsterdam. These facts point to Leiden as the place of origin for the present edition of the Hortulus Animae, but further typographical research is necessary to unveal the anonymus printer. B0074. Binding; Religious; Rare; Woodcuts.