Book cover

Object Details

• Description

  A cover of a book binding; brown leather cover with gold and blind tooling; a ten-pointed star at the centre with dot punches and geometric strapworks; doublure of block-pressed leather. The doublure have an allover pattern of stems, leaves, and stars.

• Inscriptions

  (Backside, upper right) Round, white sticker with "1375" written in large pencil script and "pbxx" written below ; (Backside, lower right) Oval, white sticker with blue-and-white boarder; "no. 12" written in black ink

• Provenance

  ?-1914

  Likely Rudolf Meyer Riefstahl (1880-1936), method of acquisition unknown [1]

  1914-1942

  Henri Vever (1854-1942), likely purchased from Rudolf Meyer Riefstahl [2]

  1942-1947

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [3]

  1947-1986

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [4]

  From 1986

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased from Francois Mautin [5]

  Notes:

  [1] See note 2. Rudolf Meyer Riefstahl was a German-American art historian specializing in medieval Islamic art. At the beginning of World War I, Meyer Riefstahl relocated from Paris, France to New York City, where he eventually became a professor at the Institute of Fine Arts.

  Meyer Riefstahl left his art collection in Paris and the French government sequestered the collection as an "Enemy Alien Asset." The collection was sold in two auctions, the first in 1923 and the second in 1925.

  [2] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever (1854-1942) amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century.

  A round sticker with the number "1375" written in pencil is affixed to the book cover. The number matches a purchase Henri Vever made on January 21, 1914 from Rudolf Meyer Reifstahl. See Henri Vever Account Ledger, FSA A1988.04_2.2.67, from Henri Vever Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. On January 21, 1914, Vever noted 4 purchases from Meyer-Riefstahl at 72 Faubourg St. Honoré. This book cover is likely what Vever described as "1 plat de reliure arabe 14e s. no. 1375."

  [3] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the book cover. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

  [4] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This book cover is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.

  [5] The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file.

  Research completed May 4, 2022.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Power of the Pen: Islamic Calligraphy in the 14th Century (September 24, 1995 to May 27, 1996)

  A Jeweler's Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (November 20, 1988 to April 30, 1989)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003)

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947)

  Henri Vever (1854-1942)

  Rudolf Meyer Riefstahl (1880-1936)

• Origin

  Egypt or Syria

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Book

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1400s, 1300s

• Name

  Mautin, Francois Albert, Riefstahl, Rudolf Meyer, Monthiers, Jeanne Louise, Vever, Henri

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Art, Mamluk period (1250 - 1517), Henri Vever collection, Arts of the Islamic World, Leatherwork

• Culture

  Muslims, Syrians

• Object Type

  Books