Binding, Style of Jean-Claude Bozérian , circa 1800. Missel de Paris, Latin-Francois, Avec prime, tierce, sexte, et les processions, imprime par ordre de monseigneur L'Archeveque, Septième partie. 1752, 12mo

Title: Missel de Paris, Latin-Francois, Avec prime,...

Publisher: Aux depens des Libraires associes pour les Usages du Diocese. A Paris. Avec Approbation & Privilege du Roi.

Publication Date: 1752

Binding: Hardcover

Book Condition: Very Good

Binding, Style of Jean-Claude Bozérian, circa 1800. Missel de Paris, Latin-Francois, Avec prime, tierce, sexte, et les processions, imprime par ordre de monseigneur L'Archeveque, Septième partie. 1752, 12mo, collation of this seventh part is in four distinct sections and printed in French and Latin in two columns: title page, 3 unpaginated pages for September and the first half of October; Dimanche a Prime to Samedi a Prime, clxxxiv pages (pages xxvii to xxxvi misbound, in front);  Pseaumes de la Penitence, pages lv to lxxxiv; Pour les Anniversaires, pages clxix to cxcii. This seventh part appears to be a complete volume. Contemporary purple endpapers. Odd brown spotting, internally good. 10.5 x 17 cm. Contemporary straight grained red goatskin (head and foot of spine a little rubbed, tips of corners bumped, some very mild handling). Boards have a roll of ivy leafs very close to Culot roll 33, the acorn stamp in the corners of the boards are not dissimilar to Culot tools 8 & 9, the chain roll on the turn in is very close to Culot palette 2, and the large chain roll on the spine is close to palette No. 3. The binding, in the style of the Bozerian brothers, is unsigned, in the school of one of Renouard's favorite artisans, François Bozerian, generally called Bozerian jeune. He was active in Paris from just after the turn of the century until 1818, and for much of that time, he worked with his elder brother Jean-Claude (1762-1840). Jean-Claude Bozérian aka Bozérian the elder, (1762-1840)  was a  binder of great reputation during his lifetime, mainly known for his bindings decorated with borders in the neoclassical style characteristic of the First Empire, he was sought after by all bibliophiles of the time.

The Bozerian workshops produced many fine bindings for clients that included the emperor Napoleon I, as well as leading bibliophiles of the day like Renouard. Their works are praised today especially for their technical achievement and refinement of design. 

Maybe the binder had trained in the Bozerian atelier. There is a strong likelihood that this binding was the work of Lefèbvre, nephew of the elder Bozerian, Jean-Claude (Bozerian l’aîné); Lefèbvre had inherited his uncles’ suite of binding tools. See Grolier Nineteenth Century  Exhibition Cat. No. 7.2. for an example by the nephew. See British library database of Bookbindings, shelf mark C34a21 for a similar signed Bozerian binding, also see Phillip J Pirages Cat.73 for a similar style of Bozerian binding.