Document : Catalogue of the Eugene Boban collection of antiquities

Du 13 au 18 décembre 1886¹ et le 11 octobre 1887, le libraire George Ayres Leavitt (1822-1888) organise à New York des ventes aux enchères de la collection d’Eugène Boban, qui a prévu de quitter les Etats-Unis, où il s’était installé, pour rentrer en France.

Dans sa préface au catalogue de la 2e vente², Edouard Frossard (1837-1899)³ indique le motif du départ de Boban :

family considerations now force him to relinquish a permanent residence in the United States ; in fact, his final departure for France will occur almost immediately after the sale of this, the entire remainder of his Collections.

Edouard Frossard, « Preface », Catalogue of the Eugene Boban collection of antiquities. Part 2 : comprising arms of savage tribes of Asia, Africa, Oceanica, America, pre-historic implements, plaster casts, ancient mexican stirrups, carvings in jade, curiosities, aztec antiquities, unique mexican manuscripts, etc., etc., to be sold at auction by Messrs. Geo. A. Leavitt & Co., [New York] : [Douglas Taylor] 1887, p. [2].

Le catalogue de vente publié par George Ayres Leavitt révèle la diversité des collections d’Eugène Boban. Parmi celles-ci, nous ne pouvons pas manquer de signaler les quelques manuscrits qu’il dispersait à l’occasion.

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Unique 17th and 18th century Mexican Mss.

241

MSS. Libranzas de Officio, 1622-1707. Unique manuscript copy of Royal Ordinances, sealed and signed by viceroys, etc. One of Philip V. to the Viceroy of Mexico, the Duke de Albuquerque, ordering him to forward a sum of money to San Augustin de la Florida, the Captain-General and Governor of this Province, Sr. Don Zuniga y Zarda, having informed the King of Spain in a letter under date of January 6th, 1703, of the siege of this city by the English, and the atrocities committed by the latter upon the inhabitants. 33 x 32 centimeters. In perfect order ; bound in vellum. 13 x 9 in.

242

MSS. 1760-1766. Libro de Mercedes, etc. Similar ; contains among other interesting Ordinances a Letter from the Viceroy of Mexico concerning the sale of Public Lands situate near the Prison de San Miguel of Pensacola, to English noblemen, notably the Duke of York, the Duke of Cumberland and others, these lands having been sold by Indians and Spaniards, with lists of names, etc. Same size as last ; bound in vellum. Of the highest interest.

243

MSS. 1681-1686. Documents, etc., relating to New Mexico. Last pages and back of vellum cover damaged. 33 x 22 centimeters.

244

MSS. Decrees, etc., 1708-1713, several relating to the descendants of Montezuma, Aztec emperor. Vellum cover, perfect. Same size.

245

MSS. 1679-17 10. Original Documents, Ordnances, etc., containing copious and valuable information concerning Mexico and North America in general. Vellum covers (one leather, damaged). Same size as before. 9 volumes.

246

MSS. Maldonado (Fr. Franciscus, of the Order of St. Francis). Sermones super Evangelia que in Sanctorum Festivitatibus leguntur: cum eorumdem vites et transitis Idiomathe Guatimalensi Cakchiquel. 4to, vellum. 17th century.
Unique seventeenth century manuscript, well and carefully written on 157 leaves. The above lot, of which the title is dated 1671, is written in the “Cakchiquel” language of Guatemala. The caligraphy is clear and distinct. It was formerly in the libraries of Brasseur de Bourbourg and Alph. Pinart, and has their inserted book-plates⁴.

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Notes

1. George Ayres Leavitt, The Boban collection…, New York City : G.A. Leavitt & Co., 1886. Ventes des 13-18 décembre 1886. [↩]
2. Boban, Eugène ; Frossard, Edouard (1837-1899), Catalogue of the Eugene Boban collection of antiquities. Part 2 : comprising arms of savage tribes of Asia, Africa, Oceanica, America, pre-historic implements, plaster casts, ancient mexican stirrups, carvings in jade, curiosities, aztec antiquities, unique mexican manuscripts, etc., etc., to be sold at auction by Messrs. Geo. A. Leavitt & Co., [New York] : [Douglas Taylor] 1887, 1 vol. (18 p.) ; 24 cm. “Catalogued by Ed. Frossard.” Disponible en ligne, url : <https://archive.org/details/b1503361>. [↩]
3. Dont les bureaux sont sis au 787-789 Broadway. [↩]
4. Il s’agit du manuscrit Mexicain 366 de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, url : <https://amoxcalli.hypotheses.org/9429> et <https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10086197f>. Une reproduction figure dans la collection de manuscrits de William Gates (1863-1940) : MSS 279, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University. Disponible en ligne, url : <https://cdm15999.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15999coll16/id/137032>. [↩]

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