The Book of Durrow, Complete Facsmile, 2 Volumes, 161 of 660

The Book of Durrow - Evangeliorum Quattuor Codex Durmachensis

Limited Edition, 1960, 161 of 660

Complete Facsimile in Leather Bindings, 2 Volumes

Includes Original Shipping Case

FINE Condition

This is a very rare complete facsimile of "The Book of Durrow – Evangeliorum Quattuor Codex Durmachensis” published by Urs Graf, Berne in 1960 with a limitation of 660 copies this being number 161. The original Book of Durrow is on display at Trinity College in Dublin where upwards of 500,000 people a year visit the college to view the book. The 'Book of Durrow' which is sometimes called ‘the elder sister of the Book of Kells' is the earliest surviving insular Gospel-book de luxe. It contains the Four Gospels in Latin, complete with the preliminaries, in a pure Vulgate text which was probably written in the second quarter of the seventh century. This manuscript is so called because of its association with the important Columban monastery of Durrow, in Offaly, where it was kept for centuries. There is evidence to show that the book was at Durrow at the close of the eleventh century from a manuscript insertion entered into the back of the book. In 1627, Conall Mac Eochagáin, the translator of the 'Annals of Clonmacnoise', recorded that the book was in the custody of an ignorant man and was used as a cure for sick cattle, the manuscript being dipped into water which was then given to the cattle to drink. By 1677 it was in the library of Trinity College where the antiquary Roderick O'Flaherty made some notes on the book, recording an inscription in Irish on the shrine, which in translation reads: “The prayer and blessing of Colum Cille for Flann son of Maolsachnaill, King of Ireland, who had this shrine made”. Its ornamentation is almost as magnificent as that of Kells, but it is more interesting because of its greater antiquity.

The limited edition consists of 2 volumes with each book measuring approximately 14.5” by 10”. The first volume is bound in full pigskin covered boards with a plain paper dust wrapper while volume 2 is bound in quarter pigskin over paper covered boards with a plain paper dust wrapper. Both volumes are housed in a cardboard shipping box with paper label affixed to the spine.  Volume 1 is the complete facsimile of the Book of Durrow with 17 plates in color and 479 in monochrome. Volume 2 contains the expert commentary on the Book of Durrow by Dr. A.A. Luce, Dr. George O. Simms, Professor Peter Meyer, and Professor Ludwig Bieler. A total of 660 copies were produced with this being number 161.

Both books are in FINE condition. The cardboard shipping carton is in Very Good+ condition with some soiling, surface wear, and a name written in pen on the back of the carton. The plain paper dust wrapper for Volume 1 is frayed and soiled. Overall, this is an exceptional copy of the complete Urs Graf production. To my knowledge, this is the only copy available in the marketplace.

Photographs of the books, examples of pages from the books, the shipping carton, and plain paper dust wrappers appear below. Please note that although the images appear digitized as thumbnails, you can view the images in the photo viewer by clicking on the thumbnail.