BINDING with ecclesiastical binding stamps Missæ in agenda defunctorum tantùm deservientes, ex Missali Romano. Recognito dsumptæ, cum Ordinario, & Canone, ut in ipsis servatur. Ad usum, et commoditatem omnium ecclesiarum [grande vinheta alegórica].- Romæ: Ex Typographia S. Michaelis, MDCCXXII, [1722].- [4], 32 p.: 1 gravura, notação musical; 37 cm.- E. Remarkable binding of liturgical ceremony, profusely worked with gold tooling, mainly with loose tooling; double squares of simple fillets, bordered by 48 vegetal tools and floral ornaments in the corners (the two covers are identical); the large central reserve is occupied by the coat of arms of D. Fr. José Maria da Fonseca e Évora (1690-1752), a prominent Franciscan religious born in Évora, bishop of Oporto (1741-1752), whose secular name was José Ribeiro da Fonseca Figueiredo e Sousa; D. Fr. José Maria was a member of several academies, superior and general prelate of his Order; in 1712 he joined the embassy delegation to Rome, headed by the marquis of Fontes; in 1728 he was appointed "chargé d'affaires" in Rome and, from 1730, ambassador of Portugal to the Holy See; art collector and bibliophile brought together an important library in Rome, which at the time was said to be only surpassed by the one of the Holy See. The surrounding space of the binding stamps is completely filled by an elaborate work of interlacing forming 18 small reserves filled with guilloche decoration with three different patterns (four reserves remained ungilded). The covers have gold decoration in their thickness and in the squares. Slightly worn and dehydrated binding (but recoverable), with slight discolouration (photodegradation) in the front cover. Bearing in mind the characteristics of the coat of arms (twelve tassels and episcopal cross), we believe we can say that the binding will be of Portuguese making, dated between 1741 and 1752. Dimensões (altura x comprimento x largura) - 39 x 26,5 x 2,2 cm