(Militaria, Illuminated manuscript) An ornate illuminated pr...

Estimate

£300 - £500

(Militaria, Illuminated manuscript) An ornate illuminated presentation manuscript, gifted to General Kurt von Briesen, Commanding Officer of the 30th Infantry Division Full brown suede with gilt tooled lettering to front board General von Briesen (and again in Cyrillic), pp.6 of decorative calligraphy and illumination, some wormholes to first leaf and last towards spine edge, done in a naive hand, artist unknown, circa 1940. The first page presents a hand-drawn map of Bulgaria, adorned with a painted Sovereign Arms of Bulgaria highlighted in gold gilt paint, small wormholes to spine edge; Followed by a large Third Reich Eagle, again painted in gilt gold; Third leaf with a medieval style ornament with gilt outline; Two page MS in Bulgarian with a decorative painted broader featuring two crests of The Bulgarian Union of Reserve Officers, signed by members of said union; Final leaf with a German translation of the previous again signed by the same members. The manuscript conveys a formal address from the Association of Former Officers of St. Sofia to General von Briesen, congratulating him on Germany’s conquest of Bulgaria. It reflects sentiments of admiration and gratitude, celebrating his role in what is described as the liberation of Bulgaria from past injustices. "The day on which you marched into Neulli at the head of your division will be remembered as a special day in the very long and eventual history of Bulgaria" "....Your Excellency, with considerable sacrifice you have loosed the shackles with which millions of human beings were bound by the blindness and hatred of wicked men....' 'We, the members of the.....are glad that fortune gave you the opportunity to lead your Division into Neuilli and through which action the injustice done to us has been wiped out.' An important artefact, with a singular history.