Father Pedro de Ribadeneira & Father Heribert Rosweyde - Generale Legende der Heylighen - 1629

Title: Generale Legende der Heylighen
Associated authors: Petrus Ribadineira and Heribertus Rosweydus
Publisher: Hieronymus Verdussen
Publication date: 1629
Place of publication: Antwerp, Belgium
Language: Dutch
Pages: 790, complete, no missing pages
Binding: Restored brown leather folio binding with raised bands, ruled borders, gilt central ornaments, brass corner pieces, and two fore-edge clasps.

An impressive 17th-century Flemish religious folio with a quality restored binding, this volume presents the Generale Legende der Heylighen, a Dutch-language compilation of saints’ lives associated with the Jesuit scholars Petrus Ribadineira and Heribertus Rosweydus. The engraved title identifies Antwerp, Hieronymus Verdussen, 1629, placing it within the flourishing Catholic publishing culture of the Southern Netherlands.

It is an enlarged second edition of an important Catholic reference work, first edition was published 10 years before in 1619.

The substantial brown leather binding features raised spine bands, ruled borders and an elegant gilt ornamental centerpiece on each cover. Brass corner protectors and two hinged fore-edge clasps give the volume a distinguished architectural presence. Lighter replacement leather is visible around the spine, preserving the character of the older covering while recording its restoration history.

The richly engraved title page is particularly appealing. The Virgin Mary appears above clouds, crowned with stars and surrounded by apostles, saints, clerics and cherubs. Recognizable attributes include Saint Peter’s keys and Saint John’s chalice. Flowing drapery, animated figures and the expansive celestial composition exemplify Flemish Baroque devotional imagery.

Printed pages combine expressive blackletter with Roman headings and decorative initials. The photographed preliminary material discusses canonization, saints’ relics, sacred images and feast days, offering insight into Counter-Reformation religious thought. The photographed divisional title identifies the first part of the work. Both a collectible antiquarian book and an evocative display piece, this volume brings together early printing, Catholic scholarship and traditional binding craftsmanship.

Condition
Good overall, with an extraordinary restored binding and visible replacement leather at the spine. Older leather shows rubbing, cracking and small losses; brass fittings display surface wear. Last 4 pages show losses in the top corners. It is complete

Provenance
Belgium private collection

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