" Anverpiae, (Antwerpen) Ex Architypographia Plantiniana, M.D.CC.LIX. (1759), in-4°, 23 x 18 cm, title with copper engraved vignet + (41) + copper engraved frontispiece + 870 pp + (2)(index, printer's mark) with 56 full-page copper engravings (with numerous woodengraved intials, black leather binding, on the covers a triple blindtooled fillet, raised back, gilt title on back, two copper clasps, strikingly crisp copy without any stains or wear (fully unused). Large and unusually richly illustrated officium. These liturgical books of the Roman Church were ment for private prayer and therefore usually published in smaller formats. The printing house of Plantin developped the tradition of printing luxuriously editions under the influence of the Infante Isabella in the early 17th century. She subsized a first in-4° edition in 1601 with 41 full page engravings. There were several reprints in the 17th & 18th century. See catalogue D.Imhoff; De Boekillustraties ten tijde van de Moretussen pp.98-99). Perhaps the main part of this book with the illustrations has been printed much earlier, the title and the calender being added in 1756 (?)."