Généalogie et alliances de la Maison de Boulogne
Henry de la Tour d'Auvergne
Manuscript in French on vellum
France, Paris, c. 1582
160 x 106 mm
360'000,- CHF (VAT not included)
79 ff. 4 large miniatures and 175 Coats of Arms, accompanied by arabesques and vegetal decoration. Complete. English gilt-edged red morocco binding from the 18th century. Excellent condition.
Immortalized Family History: The Genealogy of the House of Boulogne for Catherine de' Medici
This stunning manuscript was made for one of Europe's most powerful queens - Catherine de' Medici. It represents an important historical source for the complexity of dynastical power structures and for the biography of this remarkable woman.
This is an exceptionally beautiful manuscript presented as a gift to Catherine de’ Medici by the author, Henry de La Tour d’Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, a relative on her maternal side.
It is one of only four manuscripts created specifically to honour Catherine de’ Medici as the Duchess of Bourbon, a title of great personal significance to her. As one would expect from such a powerful figure, these manuscripts intertwine dynasty, politics, and art in a remarkable way, a fusion vividly reflected in the craftsmanship of our manuscript.
The manuscript’s elegance is seen not only in its meticulously crafted Italian script, rendered in black, blue, gold, and silver, but also in its decoration, featuring 175 beautifully illuminated coats of arms. Catherine de’ Medici was one of the foremost bibliophiles of her time and a central figure in French history. She witnessed five reigns, holding the titles of Dauphine, Queen, and Queen Mother. A great patron of the arts, her influence can be traced through the architecture, sculpture, painting, and performing arts of her time.
Unseen for around sixty years, this manuscript is of major importance in the reconstruction of her grand library. The manuscript opens with two dedications to the queen, beautifully calligraphed in gold on a blue background. Following these, we encounter the most striking miniature in the manuscript: an allegorical full-page figure, a symbol Catherine de’ Medici adopted after the death of her husband, Henry II.
This evocative image powerfully reflects her widowhood—a cascade of tears falls upon a desolation of charred stones, accompanied by a banner inscribed with the motto Ardorem extincta testantur vivere flamma. Framed by silver tears, widow’s cords, scythes, and broken mirrors, this poignant allegory is rich with the emblems of her mourning.