The Hours of Marguerite de l'Ongueval, Use of Rome, in Latin and French [French Flanders, Picardy, 1480-1500]

165x120mm, vellum, ii+83+i leaves, complete, 10 quires of 8 leaves except i6, ii8+i (+f.7), vii8+1 (+f.48), viii8+1 (+f.62) and x10, 17 lines, 5 LARGE MINIATURES with full borders, some inserted on blank leaves, with large illuminated initials and full borders on facing pages and for major divisions, somewhat worn, leather binding with gilt central cartouches including a Cross and the Instruments of the Passion of Christ, and the name 'Marguerite de Longueval' at front and the date 'Anno 1601' at back

PROVENANCE

(1) Made in Picardy to judge by calendar, which has some unusual spellings (e.g. 'Piare' for Pierre, and 'Vinchaut' for Vincent), and Firmin and Honoratus of Amiens in red (13 Jan., 16 May).

(2) Marguerite de Longueval, whose name is on the binding, is perhaps the woman of this name who died in 1612, and who was the mother of Charles Bonaventure de Longueval (d.1612), Count of Bucquoy, whose image has been stuck inside the book.

From 1419 onwards, the Picardy counties were gradually acquired by the Burgundian duke Philip the Good, confirmed by King Charles VII of France at the 1435 Congress of Arras. In 1477, King Louis XI of France led an army and occupied key towns in Picardy. By the end of 1477, Louis would control all of Picardy and most of Artois. The manuscript is painted in two different styles representative of illumination in French Flanders.

TEXT AND ILLUMINATION

Calendar in French (f.1r); Hours of the Virgin with Matins (f.8r), Lauds (f.16r), Prime (f.25r), Terce (f.28r), Sext (f.30v), None (f.33r), Vespers (f.35v), Compline (f.39v); Hours of the Cross (f.42r) and the Holy Spirit (f.45r); Penitential Psalms (f.49r), litany (f.59r); Office of the Dead (f.63r), first nocturne (f.66r), first lesson (f.69r); prayers to the Virgin, Obsecro te (f.74v), O intemerata (f.77v); suffrage to St Christopher (f.80r); Stabat mater (f.80v), suffrages to St Catherine (f.82r) and St Barbara (f.82v).

The subjects of the miniatures are: (1) f.7v, Annunciation; (2) f.42r, Crucifixion; (3) f.45r, Pentecost; (4) f.48v, King David in Prayer; (5) f.62v, Raising of Lazarus.