SCOHIER, Jean - L’Estat et comportement des armes - 1629

SCOHIER, Jean, The State and Behavior of Weapons, Brussels, Jean Mommart, 1629. Octavo (19.5 × 15 cm). (4), 187, (5) pages. Half-leather binding from the 19th century, spine with five nerves, gilt title label.

Illustrated edition of 114 coats of arms engraved on wood, accompanied by several genealogical trees illustrating degrees of kinship. The title page is printed in red and black, with an engraved vignette of the printer. Some coats of arms are hand rubricated by an old hand.

Fundamental work on the heraldry of the Southern Netherlands in the early 17th century. Jean Scohier (c. 1560–after 1629), genealogist and heraldist, chaplain to the prince of Croÿ, and apostolic protonotary, systematically outlines the rules for composing coats of arms, their symbolic significance, principles of transmitting arms, as well as a rigorous method for establishing genealogies and lineages.

The treaty is also authoritative on the legal and social usages of weapons, providing valuable insight into heraldic law and the noble structure of the period.

Uncommon copies. The documented copies are mostly found in institutional libraries. Similar editions are rarely offered on the market.

Good copy. Well-contrasted engravings. Pleasant, sturdy, and functional binding.