Lot 338, Auction 3/19/2026: “La Dulce y Santa Muerte” Spanish Devotional Book, 1750

$390.00

In stock

Western Europe, Spain, Seville, Early Modern period, ca. 1750 CE. Printed on laid paper and bound in hardened limp vellum with original thong ties, the book now possesses a tactile firmness that speaks to long centuries of handling and environmental exposure. The vellum covers are deeply mottled and creased, the spine titled in manuscript, and the text block shows consistent age toning throughout its 383 pages. Its small, portable format suggests a book intended for repeated consultation rather than ceremonial display, a companion for private reflection rather than public devotion. The title page announces “La Dulce y Santa Muerte”, a work originally composed in French by the Jesuit author Juan Crasset of the Society of Jesus and translated into Castilian by Doctor Don Basilio Sotomayor. The text is framed within an ornamental woodcut border, lending visual gravity to its theme: the Christian preparation for death. Size: 4.5″ L x 1.8″ W x 6″ H (11.4 cm x 4.6 cm x 15.2 cm)

Appended sections address the spiritual and practical realities of articulo mortis, offering reflections, resolutions, and admonitions directed equally to ecclesiastical and secular readers. The stated purpose is explicit and practical – that each person, given time and awareness, might prepare both soul and testament without fear or confusion.

Written and circulated around 1750, the book belongs to the enduring ars moriendi tradition, a genre that framed death not as catastrophe but as culmination. Its language is sober, instructive, and devotional, emphasizing repentance, confession, spiritual readiness, and acceptance. Death is presented not as an intrusion but as a passage made gentle through faith and discipline. The physical state of the volume deepens its meaning. The stiffened vellum, softened edges, and accumulated wear suggest prolonged use rather than neglect. This is a book that lived alongside its readers, absorbing time, touch, and attention. It survives today as both a theological artifact and a material witness to an age when preparing for death was considered one of the most necessary acts of a well-ordered life.

Condition: Book spine is detached at front juncture. Some tears, chipping and wrinkling to pages, as well as staining and foxing. Discoloring and wrinkling to cover. Text is still very clear and legible.

Provenance: Private collection of important Hollywood family, collected between 1930 and 1980

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