The intricate rules that governed life during Holy Week deserved to be housed in a similarly momentous and ornate binding. In cultures all over the world, the first full moon after the vernal equinox is a sacred time. The cover reproduced here protected �L�office de la Semaine Sainte,� which explained the many rites and observances to be followed during the most important period in the Christian calendar. The entire surface of the original cover was adorned �� la fanfare,� an elaborate, handtooled pattern edged in gilt. �Fanfare,� which was a style popular from the late 1500s until the early 1700s, required tremendous skill on the part of the bookbinder and was reserved for books of great importance. Our cover, featuring a tendril motif, reproduces a 1688 binding from the D�sseldorf Museum Kunstpalast.
