Set of Three 18th Century French Leather-Bound Religious Volumes, Instructions sur le Rituel (1783)
Set of Three 18th Century French Leather-Bound Religious Volumes, Instructions sur le Rituel (1783)
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Additional Description: A handsome three-volume French ecclesiastical work titled Instructions sur le Rituel, printed in Lyon in 1783, intended as a practical guide for clergy. Written by Louis-Albert Joly de Choin, Bishop of Toulon, the text serves as a comprehensive manual on the administration of Catholic rites and the moral responsibilities of the priesthood.
The contents focus on the theory and practice of the sacraments—including baptism, confession, Eucharist, and last rites—alongside detailed instruction on liturgical procedures, parish duties, and pastoral conduct. The work also includes moral theology and formal “propositions” with accompanying censures, reflecting how the Church defined and corrected doctrinal errors in the late 18th century. It was designed not as a decorative book, but as a working reference for curés, confessors, preachers, and clerics actively serving in parish life.
The set is uniformly bound in full mottled calf with gilt-tooled spines, raised bands, and labeled volumes (Tomes I–III). The title page of Volume III notes it was printed by the Frères Perisse in Lyon in 1783 and includes the designation “Avec Privilège du Roi,” indicating official royal authorization for publication under the ancien régime.
Of particular note is the contemporary ownership inscription dated 1783 to “Jacqueton, curé de Montagny,” strongly suggesting the books were originally used by a parish priest shortly after publication. A later “Ex Libris” bookplate is also present. Together, these elements transform the set from a purely decorative object into a direct artifact of pre-Revolutionary French religious life.
Era: 18th century, dated 1783
History: This set was printed in Lyon just a few years before the French Revolution, during the final years of the Bourbon monarchy. Works such as Instructions sur le Rituel were created for practical clerical use, guiding members of the Church in sacramental administration, ritual observance, and moral instruction. Because these books were working volumes rather than purely decorative objects, complete multi-volume sets in original leather bindings offer both intellectual and visual appeal today.
The notation “Avec Privilège du Roi” refers to the royal privilege system in France, under which books were officially authorized for printing and sale. The named owner, apparently a curé of Montagny, suggests the books remained in actual parish or clerical hands early in their life, which strengthens their sense of authenticity and lived history.
Provenance: France; printed at Lyon by the Frères Perisse in 1783. Early ownership inscription to “Jacqueton curé de Montagny” dated 1783. Later “Ex Libris Urbes” bookplate present.
Materials: Leather bindings, paper text block, gilt tooling, morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers, ink inscription, printed paper bookplate
Dimensions: TBD
Disclaimers: Expected age-related wear throughout consistent with 18th-century use and survival, including rubbing, scuffing, surface loss, edge wear, wear to spine compartments and corners, and general toning to the bindings. Interiors may show normal foxing, handling wear, and age toning. At least one volume bears a later bookplate. Cataloging is based on the photographed volumes and visible title page; collation and completeness of all three volumes should be confirmed if required for a specialist sale.
Additional Description: A handsome three-volume French ecclesiastical work titled Instructions sur le Rituel, printed in Lyon in 1783, intended as a practical guide for clergy. Written by Louis-Albert Joly de Choin, Bishop of Toulon, the text serves as a comprehensive manual on the administration of Catholic rites and the moral responsibilities of the priesthood.
The contents focus on the theory and practice of the sacraments—including baptism, confession, Eucharist, and last rites—alongside detailed instruction on liturgical procedures, parish duties, and pastoral conduct. The work also includes moral theology and formal “propositions” with accompanying censures, reflecting how the Church defined and corrected doctrinal errors in the late 18th century. It was designed not as a decorative book, but as a working reference for curés, confessors, preachers, and clerics actively serving in parish life.
The set is uniformly bound in full mottled calf with gilt-tooled spines, raised bands, and labeled volumes (Tomes I–III). The title page of Volume III notes it was printed by the Frères Perisse in Lyon in 1783 and includes the designation “Avec Privilège du Roi,” indicating official royal authorization for publication under the ancien régime.
Of particular note is the contemporary ownership inscription dated 1783 to “Jacqueton, curé de Montagny,” strongly suggesting the books were originally used by a parish priest shortly after publication. A later “Ex Libris” bookplate is also present. Together, these elements transform the set from a purely decorative object into a direct artifact of pre-Revolutionary French religious life.
Era: 18th century, dated 1783
History: This set was printed in Lyon just a few years before the French Revolution, during the final years of the Bourbon monarchy. Works such as Instructions sur le Rituel were created for practical clerical use, guiding members of the Church in sacramental administration, ritual observance, and moral instruction. Because these books were working volumes rather than purely decorative objects, complete multi-volume sets in original leather bindings offer both intellectual and visual appeal today.
The notation “Avec Privilège du Roi” refers to the royal privilege system in France, under which books were officially authorized for printing and sale. The named owner, apparently a curé of Montagny, suggests the books remained in actual parish or clerical hands early in their life, which strengthens their sense of authenticity and lived history.
Provenance: France; printed at Lyon by the Frères Perisse in 1783. Early ownership inscription to “Jacqueton curé de Montagny” dated 1783. Later “Ex Libris Urbes” bookplate present.
Materials: Leather bindings, paper text block, gilt tooling, morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers, ink inscription, printed paper bookplate
Dimensions: TBD
Disclaimers: Expected age-related wear throughout consistent with 18th-century use and survival, including rubbing, scuffing, surface loss, edge wear, wear to spine compartments and corners, and general toning to the bindings. Interiors may show normal foxing, handling wear, and age toning. At least one volume bears a later bookplate. Cataloging is based on the photographed volumes and visible title page; collation and completeness of all three volumes should be confirmed if required for a specialist sale.