Binding. French, 12th century. Reddish brown sheepskin over wooden
boards, decorated with a combination of individual tools depicting
animals and grotesques.
A Romanesque binding -- Ehrman's most expensive purchase. French,
12th century. Reddish brown sheepskin over wooden boards, decorated
with a combination of individual tools depicting animals and
grotesques. Against fierce competition, Albert Ehrman bought it at
the Lucius Wilmerding sale in New York in October 1951 for £6,000.
Wilmerding had paid E. P. Goldschmidt £300 for the book in 1934. A
large number of the books in the Broxbourne collection include
letters from the leading binding experts of the time – in
particular E. P. Goldschmidt and G. D. Hobson – supplying
information about Ehrman's books. Folded into many of these letters
are pencil rubbings of binding tools, related illustrations,
booksellers' descriptions, and other ephemera, including the
receipt for this binding, also shown.
