Overseas Expeditions by the French against the Turks and Other Saracens and Moors Overseas 1472
Overseas Expeditions by the French against the Turks and Other Saracens and Moors Overseas 1472
AUTHOR: GEORGES CHASTELLAIN, SEBASTIEN MAMEROT
LANGUAGE: FRENCH, LATIN, ITALIAN
DATE: 1472-1475
PAGE #: 593
REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.25 X 8.75 IN
HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE OVERSEAS EXPEDITIONS BY THE FRENCH AGAINST THE TURKS AND OTHER SARACENS AND MOORS OVERSEAS COMMONLY KNOWN AS PASSAGES D’OUTREMER (THE EXPEDITIONS TO OUTREMER), IS AN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT MADE IN FRANCE AROUND 1472-1475. IT INCLUDES 66 MINIATURES; MOST LIKELY PAINTED BY JEAN COLOMBE (ACTIVE 1463-1498), AND ILLUMINATOR FROM BOURGES. AFTER THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE IN 1453, POPE PIUS II PLEADED FOR LIBERATION OF THE CHRISTIAN HOLY PLACES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE POP’S PROJECT NEVER CAME TO FRUITION, BUT IT REVIVED A CERTAIN INTEREST IN THE CRUSADES UNDERTAKEN CENTURIES EARLIER BY THE EUROPEANS. IN 1472, LOUIS DE LAVAL, GOVERNOR OF CHAMPANGE AND ADVISOR TO KING LOUIS XI, ASKED HIS CHAPLAIN AND SECRETARY, SEBASTIEN MAMEROT, TO WRITE A CHRONICLE OF THE CRUSADES. THE WORK IS A COMPILATION OF VARIOUS STORIES FROM THE LEGENDARY CONQUEST OF JERUSALEM BY CHARLEMAGNE TO THE BATTLE OF NICOPOLIS IN 1396 AND THE SIEGE OF CONSTANTINOPLE IN 1394-1402. ONE PIECE OF TEXT WAS ADDED AT A LATER DATE TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MANUSCRIPT: THE FRENCH TRANSLATION OF A LETTER WRITTEN BY SULTAN BAJAZED II (1447-1512) TO KING CHARLES VIII (1470-1498), SENT FROM CONSTANTINOPLE ON JULY 4, 1488, FOLLOWED BY A COPY IN LATIN AND ITALIAN. THE MANUSCRIPT WAS OWNED SUCCESSIVELY BY DIANE DE POITERS (1499-1566), CHARLES-HENRI DE CLERMONT-TONNERRE (1571-1640), AND ACCORDING TO THE BOOKPLATES FOUND IN THE MANUSCRIPT, BY CARDINAL MAZARIN (1602-1661) BEFORE IT BECAME A PART OF THE ROYAL LIBRARY IN 1668.
REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
