Beschreibung:

BINDING FORGERY – JONI, Icilio Federico (1866-1946). Two painted binding panels on wood. [Italy, late 19th century]. A late-19th-century pair of forged book covers by Icilio Federico Joni the “Prince of Siennese forgers,” executed in emulation of the “tavolette di Biccherna,” the well-known painted bindings produced from the 13th to the 17th centuries for the municipal account books of Sienna. By his own admission Joni, a forger and restorer, never visited the Sienna archives to inspect the originals, and his bindings are in fact anachronistic. From 1459 the accounts were bound in leather, yet Joni gave his bindings dates post-1459. While he sold a number of his imitations as medieval and Renaissance originals, he openly described his forgery work in his autobiography ( Le Memorie di un pittore di Quadri Antichi , 1932, English trans. 1936). Undetected Joni bindings have graced some of the greatest book collections, including those of Hoe and Wilmerding. Even recognized as imitations, they nonetheless retained their cachet, as the commission by Lady Wantage for a binding in 1904 demonstrates. At least 14 examples of Joni's work are recorded and more are in circulation. See H.M. Nixon, “Binding Forgeries,” Transactions of the VIth International Congress of Bibliophiles , 1969, Vienna, 1971, pp. 69-83; and M. Foot, “A Pair of Bookcovers of the late 19th Century by I.F. Joni,” The Book Collector , 1985, pp. 488-489. Quarto (each 280 x 380mm). Tempera and gilt on carved wood, with remnants of calf binding, both covers gilt with framed panels carved and set with gilt floral and foliate decoration over a painted black field, gilt wooden bosses carved in relief at each corner, brass clasps partially present, upper cover with painting depicting Archangel Michael with spear in one hand slaying a dragon at his feet, a set of scales in the other hand, the lower cover with 12 painted armorial shields carved in relief, above and surrounding the gilt-lettered legend: "Inventario de le cose de la sacrestia del duomo e del altre cose mobili del uopara rifatto la sico[n]da volta al tempo di missere Giovanni di Paolo hoparaio di Siena di dicie[m]b[re] 1446" (several repaired cracks, paint somewhat rubbed, one shield with several scratches; not examined out of frame). Provenance : Arthur Tooth & Sons (label on frame verso, dated 8 September, 1884).