Notebook by Embroidered Binding (1 results)

A charming mid-19th-century French embroidered binding. The geometric pattern of the design, executed in interlaced gilt, green, pink, and purple threads, is rather unusual for this period, when figurative motifs were the most popular. The contents of the notebook span several years, approximately from 1844 to 1856. Included are accounts of money paid, spent, and gifted, contacts and addresses of people in Paris and Lille (one recurring multiple times), and personal notes. The interests and concerns, the frequent appearance of female names as acquaintances (such as Pauline, Amelie, and Marie), and the style of the binding, strongly suggest that the owner was a Parisian gentlewoman. The accounts suggest that her job involved buying and supplying furniture to customers. For example, she records advancing money to Pauline "for her pendulum" and paying her for a "mobilier de dames" (a lady's dressing table). The owner appears to have been fascinated by clocks; on another page, she copied a quote from Voltaire: "L'univers m'embarrasse et je ne puis songer que cette horloge existe et n'ait pas d'horloger" ("The universe troubles me, and I cannot imagine that this clock exists without a clockmaker"). Science also features among her interests. A curious note concerns the analysis of the contents of the "eau de puits foré" (water from drilled wells) carried out by "Deville", likely the chemist Henry Deville; it includes a breakdown of chemical components (i.e. sulfates, sodium chloride) and their weight. This was copied from a contemporary published report. Another page contains a reference to the contents of a botanical publication, Histoire des plantes de Dauphiné by Dominique Villard (1786-1789). Most of the other notes relate to everyday life. The address of Monsieur Paterson, a dentist with offices at 396 rue St Honore, is followed by a positive review of his services: "sans douleur a un prix modere" (painless at a moderate price). On another page is the account of a journey by omnibus from Paris to Dole, passing through Dijon, with times. Right below is a note copied from a contemporary almanac concerning an English company called "Defender", based at Boulevard des Italiens 4, offering advantageous rates for life annuities. Duodecimo (135 x 90 mm). Three paper bifolia and one cardboard bifolium held in place by a green silk tie, seven (of eight) unnumbered leaves, one paper leaf removed or absent. Contemporary green roan, smooth spine, covers bordered with a gilt floral roll enclosing embroidered panel decorated with a geometric design of variously coloured interlaced bands, cream silk moirè endpapers, the pastedowns with pockets, leather loops at fore-edge holding a wooden pencil with metal finial, which keeps the binding closed. Housed in a green cloth flat-back box with black leather label. Gilt slightly darkened, couple of loose threads, the embroidered panels otherwise beautifully preserved and bright, short superficial split at head of front joint, occasional spot of foxing. A very good example.