43 - [HISTORY - BRUGES] - GAILLIARD, Jean-Jacques

[HISTORY - BRUGES] - GAILLIARD, Jean-Jacques "Historical Research on the Chapel of the Holy Blood in Bruges, with a Detailed Description of All the Archaeological Monuments Found There" Bruges, Published by J. Gailliard, 1846 Large 8vo. Contemporary black half-maroquin. Spine with 5 raised bands decorated with a gold fillet, gold panels, and arabesques. Author’s name and title in gold. Normal wear and tear. The frontispiece is detached, as are the last two endpapers (replaced with tissue paper). Stains here and there. A hole in the margin of pp. 227–8. First edition of this monumental archaeological monograph devoted to one of Flanders’ most famous shrines, housing the relic of the Precious Blood of Christ brought back from Constantinople in the 12th century. Jean-Jacques Gailliard (1801–1867), a historian, draftsman, and genealogist from Bruges, presents here a historical and descriptive study of remarkable precision. The work thoroughly examines the building’s architectural structures (from the Romanesque crypt of St. Basil to the reconstructed and restored upper chapel), its works of art, its stained-glass windows, and the jewels in its treasury, such as the famous large reliquary by the goldsmith Jan Crabbe. The volume is particularly sought after and appreciated for its sumptuous illustrations: it contains 35 inset plates drawn by the author and executed by the Bruges master lithographer Daveluy, including magnificent architectural views, fold-out plates of the procession, and finely color-enhanced depictions of period costumes. A major classic of Bruges’ religious and artistic historiography. References: National Bibliography of Belgium, II, p. 110; De Seyn, Historical Dictionary, I, p. 488. Also included: [HISTORY - AALST] - GERARD, François L. J. "History of the Ancient Lordships of Leeuwergem and Elene" Ghent, T. & D. Hemelsoet Printing and Lithography, 1853 In-4°. Publisher’s cardboard binding. Spine damaged with a missing section, 2 loose folios, scuffing. Scattered foxing First and only edition of this remarkable monograph on regional and feudal history dedicated to the Aalst region. François L. J. Gerard presents here a first-rate topographical, genealogical, and archaeological study of the neighboring seigneuries of Leeuwergem and Elene. The work is based on a rigorous analysis of medieval charters and land registers, tracing the chronology of the noble families that succeeded one another there (notably the prestigious d’Hane-Steenhuyse lineage). The author examines in detail the evolution of social structures, the feudal system, and the local architectural heritage, paying particular attention to the famous Leeuwergem Castle, a jewel of Louis XV architecture in Flanders renowned for its gardens and open-air theater. The volume is highly sought after by regional collectors due to its meticulous printing by the Hemelsoet workshops in Ghent. References: National Bibliography of Belgium, II, 196; Messager des sciences historiques, 1853, p. 488. Provenance: from the library of Philippe Kervyn of Volkaersbeke (bookplate)