1967 "Missel quotidien vesperal" book, blue [French]

A pocket-size French missal in beautiful shape. The grained cover has raised bands on the spine and the title in gold, and the page edges are gilt all the way around, so the book glows when it's closed.

Inside are full-color plates from a 1503 Book of Hours kept at Hautecombe Abbey in Savoie — the Annunciation, the Crucifixion, a golden Tree of Jesse — bright reds, blues, and gold leaf throughout the book. The text runs in Latin and French side by side, printed in black and red. It was made in 1967, right after Vatican II and before the new Mass of 1970, so it captures a short moment when the old Latin prayers and the new French were printed together. A letter from Pope Paul VI opens the book.

The binding is crisp, and the slipcase is tidy — a lovely gift for a First Communion, a confirmation, or anyone who loves old French books.

Dimensions: 6" H x 3 3/4" W (per volume)

Medium: Grained binding with gilt-stamped spine, gilt page edges, ribbon markers; matching slipcase

Age: 1967

Origin: France

Signature/mark: Spine stamped in gilt "MISSEL QUOTIDIEN VESPÉRAL"

Disclosures: Sold as-is in vintage condition; overall very clean: binding is tight with only light handling wear, gilt edges bright, slipcase in good shape (see photos)