AUTHOR: LIMBOURG BROTHERS

LANGUAGE: FRENCH

DATE: 1402

PAGE #: 368

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS:

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE LIMBOURG BROTHERS WERE ORIGINALLY FROM NIJMEGEN. THEY BEGAN THEIR WORK IN THE EARLY 15TH CENTURY. ALL OF THEIR WORKS, LIKE THE BIBLE MORALISEE, ARE ALL CREATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL GOTHIC STYLE, DECORATED IN GOLD. HERMAN AND JOHAN LEARNED THEIR SKILL OF GOLDSMITHING IN PARIS. AFTER THEIR FATHER DIED THEY WERE CALLED BY THEIR UNCLE TO STAY WITH HIM. IN 1399 ON THEIR WAY TO NIJMEGEN THE BROTHERS WERE CAPTURED AND HELD FOR RANSOM DURING THE CIVIL WAR OF FRANC, KNOWN AS THE ONEHUNDRED YEAR WAR. ALL OF THE EFFORTS TO COLLECT ENOUGH FOR THE RANSOM WERE UNSUCCESSFUL UNTIL PHILIP THE BOLD STEPPED IN. PHILP THE BOLD PAID THE RANSOM OF THE LIMBOURG BROTHERS LEADING TO THEIR RELEASE IN 1400.

FROM SURVIVING DOCUMENTS IT IS KNOWN THAT IN 1402, PAUL AND JOHAN WERE CONTRACTED BY PHILIP TO WORK EXCLUSIVELY ON ILLUMINATING A BIBLE. THEY WORKED EXCLUSIVELY ON THIS BIBLE UNTIL PHILIP’S DEATH IN 1404. WHETHER OR NOT THAT THAT BIBLE WAS ACTUALLY THE BIBLE MORALISEE IS A MATTER OF SPECULATION. HOWEVER TIMELINES SEEM TO ALIGN LEAVING THIS TO BE ONE OF THE LIMBOURG BROTHERS EARLIEST WORKS.

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.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.