AUTHOR: MASTERS OF ZWEDER VAN CULEMBORG

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 1425-1499

PAGE #: 512

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.25 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE MISSAL OF EBERHARD VON GREIFFENKLAU IS A MASTERPIECE OF DUTCH MANUSCRIPT PAINTING. IT WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY AND FEATURES WORK BY THE MASTERS OF ZWEDER VAN CULEMBORG, AS WELL AS THE CELEBRATED MASTER OF CATHERINE OF CLEVES, LINKING IT TO POSSIBLY THE FINEST DUTCH ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS EVER MADE: THE HOURS OF CATHERINE OF CLEVES, 1440. THE EXTREMELY ELABORATE MISSAL IS ILLUMINATED WITH ONE FULL-PAGE MINIATURE, FIFTYTWO COLUMN MINIATURES, AND SIXTYEIGHT HISTORIATED INITIALS THROUGHOUT THE MANUSCRIPT. THIS MANUSCRIPTS CONTAINS THE CALENDAR OF THE CARTHUSIAN ORDER, ABOUT HALF-FULL, GRADED IN RED AND BLACK.

THE MANUSCRIPT WAS MADE FOR CARTHUSIAN USE, PROBABLY FOR A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY OF GREIFFENKLAU, PERHAPS EBERHARD VON EBERHARD GREIFFENKLAU (1410-1489), DEAN OF THE CATHEDRAL OF MAINZ AND PREBENDARY OF UTRECHT FROM 1446. THE GREIFFENKLAU ARMS APPEAR IN THE BEGINNING OF THE MANUSCRIPT, SIMPLY OUTLINED IN RED AND GOLD, UNCOLORED AND QUARTERED WITH THE THE IPPELBRUNN ARMS. THE LATTER APPEAR LATER ON, SABLE A BEND SINISTER ARGENT, REFLECTING MARRIAGE IN 1398 OF THE DAUGHTER OF IRMGARD VAN IPPELBRUNN TO EBERHARD’S FATHER, FREDERICK VON GREIFFENKLAU. HOWEVER, THE GREIFFENKLAU FAMILY WERE NOBILITY FROM NEAR CLEVES (EBERHARD OWNED THE CASTLE OF VOLRAT, NEAR WESEL, ON THE RHINE IN CLEVES) AND HAD NO CONNECTION WITH UTECHT IN THE 1430’S SO THE MANUSCRIPT WAS NOT LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN UTRECHT.

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.