Les Arts au Moyen Âge – Paul Lacroix – 1871 | Illustrated, Beautiful Gilt Binding

Les Arts au Moyen Âge et à l’Époque de la Renaissance by Paul Lacroix, published in 1871, is an illustrated book exploring material culture, ornament, and the visual expressions of both the medieval and early Renaissance periods. Known for its extensive topics, this work surveys arms, costume, music, architectural forms, printed works, and decorative traditions. This edition is bound in red cloth stamped in gilt, with gilt page edges and marbled endpapers featuring gilt veining, reflecting the publisher’s commitment to fine craftsmanship.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Les Arts au Moyen Âge et à l’Époque de la Renaissance
• Author(s): Paul Lacroix
• Publisher: Paris, De Firmin Didot Frères
• Edition: Third Edition, 1871
• Format: Large Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Leather spine, decorative red cloth boards, gilt page edges
• Size: 11.5 in × 8.5 in (29 cm × 21 cm)
• Collation: [4], iv, 548 pp
• Illustrations: Illustrated throughout with numerous engravings (19 color plates)
• Contents Include:
  • Origins of movable type and incunables
  • Medieval and Renaissance musical instruments: syrinx, viol, gigue, hydraulic organ
  • Arms, armor, and military customs under Charlemagne
  • Tapestry and textile design
  • Byzantine and early Romanesque architecture
  • Impact of the Norman Conquest on English visual culture
  • Painting styles and decorative forms of the 14th–16th centuries

Condition:

Original leather spine and red publisher’s leather shows ornate gilt tooling to both spine and boards, with minor wear to edges and corners consistent with age. Binding is secure. Red cloth color and gilt has faded on the boards. Gilt page edges are bright and intact, protecting the text block. Includes patterned endpapers. Pages are clean, with mild to moderate foxing throughout. Beautiful illustrations throughout, including 19 chromolithograph plates which have retained their vibrant color.

Why Collect This?

• Fine binding, beautiful gilt inlay with gold page edges
• Depictions of early musical instruments and early printing press
• Historical topics of visual arts and military equipment
• Suitable for collectors of 19th-century French antiquarian works or medievalist scholarship

Item Number: #28758