Descent from the Cross, by an artist from the circle of Simon Marmion, four leaves from a Book of Hours, in Latin, on vellum

4 leaves, all 125mm. by 89mm., (1) large arch-topped miniature, 75mm. in height, enclosing Christ's body being taken down from the Cross, two men with ladders handing the body to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene tenderly holding Christ's hand, all with haloes picked out with single-hair strokes of liquid gold, three women in background huddled, all before a hilly landscape with Jerusalem in background as a medieval city heightened in liquid gold, three-quarter border panel of stylised acanthus-leaves, naturalistic flower-cuttings and fruit, a fly, and a small and detailed bird, all on dull liquid gold ground heightened with shiny gold flecks, on verso: single column, 16 lines of black ink in a fine and delicate lettre batârde (most probably that of the scribe Johann de Bomalia), with single border panel as above; (2) three text leaves from same manuscript with numerous 1- and 2-line initials in liquid gold on coloured grounds, and one 4-line initial 'D' in same, beginning "Deus in adiutorium meum intende ..." (slight damage to adjacent text), with similar border panels enclosing a number of flowers and two other birds, all in excellent condition, in card mounts

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These are leaves from a Book of Hours of the Use of Cambrai which was sold in Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 19 May 1976 (the present leaves being lot 6), and dispersed by Kraus; the remnant being sold in our rooms, 2 December 1997, lot 77. The scribe was identified by the late Prof. H. Bober, when the leaves were in Kraus' possession, as the Dominican Johann de Bomalia, who is recorded as a member of the Bruges illuminator's guild of SS. John and Luke in 1489, signing manuscripts such as Meermanno-Westreenianum MS. 10.E.3, illuminated by Simon Bening; the Hours of James IV of Scotland and his wife Margaret Tudor: now Vienna, ÖNB, cod. lat. 1897; and a Book of Hours sold in our rooms, 23 June, 1993, lot 93. Bober himself acquired a text leaf which is now J. Paul Getty Museum, MS. 34. The present leaves are from the collection of the late Dr F. Jossi.  

illumination

The illumination is from the circle of the celebrated artist Simon Marmion, and moreover, "very close to Marmion himself" (B. Brinkmann, 'The Contribution of Simon Marmion to Books of Hours from Ghent and Bruges', in Margaret of York, Simon Marmion and the Visions of Tondal, ed., T. Kren, 1992, p. 192. The Calendar and a number of text leaves are in Munich: Staatlische Graphische Sammlung, Inv. 40051-62 & 18736-58, and other text leaves are in the Historisches Museum in Frankfurt: C.85-9, 754-9 & 6439-41.  Marmion was one of the very greatest of the Flemish primitive painters, both of panels and manuscripts, and the renaissance poet Jean Lemaire called him "the very prince of book illumination", equating him with Jean Fouquet and Jan van Eyck (Wieck, Painted Prayers, 1997, p. 77). Even here on the edge of the master's workshop, these leaves represent the manuscript art of the southern Netherlands at its finest and most innovative moment.