- 23
Book of Hours, in Dutch, 5 leaves from an illuminated manuscript on vellum
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Description
5 leaves, 179mm. by 125mm., not consecutive, 22 lines, written-space 100mm. by 63mm., written in dark brown ink in a fine compressed gothic liturgical hand, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red, versal initials in red or blue, six 2-line initials in red or blue with fine contrasting penwork mostly extending into three margins, large illuminated initial 'g' (opening of Vespers in the Hours of the Eternal Wisdom), 5-line, in divided blue with three-quarter border in fine red and blue infilled with gold and green, half-length marginal angel holding a scroll in Dutch, large historiated initial 'm' (opening of the Office of the Dead), 11-line, in blue on a burnished gold ground enclosing a scene of naked souls being burned in Hell, full illuminated border of coloured flowers and acanthus leaves and gold bezants and a seated deer (from one of the patterns of the Master of the Playing Cards) and a three-quarter length man in prayer, mostly rather worn and rubbed and dampstained
Provenance
From the collection of Philip van Alfen, Doorn; sold in these rooms, 10 July 1972, lot 72, and at Christie’s, 25 June 1986, lot 201, afterwards broken up. The historiated initial here was fol.93r in the complete manuscript and faced a full-page miniature of Saint Michael weighing souls.