Book of Hours, Use of Paris, in Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum

174 leaves (3 blank), 162mm. by 108mm., missing 3 leaves, else complete, collation i^{12, ii8 (i an inserted leaf to replace excised miniature), iii4, iv-v8, vi7 (of 8, wanting viii), vii-xi8, x-xi8, xii2, xiii-xiv8, xv10, xvi2, xvii-xix8, xx-xxi8, xxii7 (wanting iv), xxiii8, xxiv2, vertical catchwords, written space 85mm. by 80mm., single column, 16 lines in a gothic bookhand in dark brown ink, rubrics in dark pink, calendar in pink, blue and gold, numerous 1- and 2-line initials in burnished gold on alternate blue or pink grounds with white penwork, infill of initials to contrast, line fillers in same, 158 pages with single border panels containing acanthus leaf foliage and various flowers on gold paint grounds in diamonds, chevrons and other shapes, one 4-line initial containing foliage with three-quarter border decoration (fol.19v),} thirteen small miniatures, 7-lines in height, with three-quarter border decoration (fols.13v, 16r, 17v, 18v, 165r, 168r, 168v, 169r, 170r, 170v, 171r, 172r and 172v), twelve half-page miniatures above 3-line initials with full borders incorporating a number of birds and grotesque human heads (fols.25r, 48r, 59v, 65v, 70r, 74r, 78r, 85r, 90r, 110r, 116r, 120v), many showing slight rubbing or minor wear (see below), fine 1680s English red morocco by Richard Balley (see below), in a blue half-morocco slipcase

provenance

1. An inscription on the front flyleaf in an eighteenth-century hand reads "This book once belonged to the closet of the king, and was bought by me, A. S", and has been previously suggested that it was one of the books abandoned by James II in his flight from England in 1688.

2. Langford family of Kilmackedrett (extinct c. 1725); their arms on the pastedown;

3. H. E. Brown of Barton Hall (d. 29 November 1839), and by descent to Henry Langford Brown of Barton Hall (d. 6 Jan 1857); their bookplates and signatures on endleaves.

4. Lady Fox of 53 York Terrace, Regent's Park; sold in our rooms 28 February 1949, lot 500.

5. Richard Maddocks (d. 1966); sold in our rooms 4 May 1953, lot 50; later owned by Alan G. Thomas (his price code on flyleaf).

6. William Foyle (1885-1963) of Beeleigh Abbey; his bookplate; his sale, Christie's, 11 July 2000, lot 48, for £20,000.

7. Jock Elliott (1921-2005) of New York; and by descent.

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."

text

A calendar (fol. 1r); Gospel Sequences (fol. 14r); Obsecro te (for male use: michi peccatori) and O intermerata (fol. 18v); Hours of the Virgin: Matins (fol. 25r), Lauds (fol. 48r), Prime (fol. 59v), Terce (fol. 65v), Sext (fol. 70), Nones (fol. 74r), Vespers (fol. 78r), Compline (fol. 85r); Penitential Psalms with litany (fol. 90r); Hours of the Cross (fol. 160v); Fifteen joys of the Virgin (fol. 161r); seven requests to our Lord (fol. 165r); Suffrages to the saints (fol. 168r), including Michael, Peter and Paul, John, Sebastian, Nicholas, Mary Magdalene, Catherine and Genevieve.

binding

1680s English red morocco by Richard Balley; gilt double-fillet and pointillé border, inner panel with cornerpieces of citrus morocco inlays, central cartouche of black morocco inlay, all elaborately tooled in gilt with tulips and other large flowers with black and citron morocco inlays, leafy tendrils and urns, spine in six compartments elaborately gilt. Balley specialised in backless bindings, but there are a number of other bindings attributed to him that are very similar to the present binding, including that on the John Towneley/Christie-Miller/Henry Davis copy of Waring's The Rules of Charity (Nixon, English Restoration Bookbindings 112, Henry Davis Gift 141).

illumination

The illumination is clearly Parisian, and by an accomplished follower of Maître François. It is interesting that the minor damage to the miniatures appears to be contained to localised areas of the painted area, often concentrating on the principal subject or the Virgin. Most probably this is due to the use of the book by a medieval owner, perhaps as they kissed or touched the object of their devotion whilst praying.

The subjects of the miniatures are:

1. Folio 25r, the Annunciation to the Virgin; arch-topped half-page miniature, in excellent architectural design, enclosing the Virgin kneeling in prayer, in a blue robe highlighted in gold paint, before her prie-dieu, while an angel stands before her and the Holy Spirit (in the form of dove) descends from above; a bird and a grotesque head in the border. Some rubbing to face of angel and small section of background.

2. Folio 48r, the Visitation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing St. Elizabeth kneeling before the Virgin before a detailed background of a medieval building with a brick-built tower with a leaded glass window and an ornamental roof picked out in gold paint, town in distant background; two birds in the border. Some rubbing to the face of the Virgin and paint flaking from sky.

3. Folio 59v, the Nativity; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing the Virgin and Joseph kneeling either side of the Christ child who lies on the ground on a fold of the Virgin's cloak, outside the stable under a thatched gable, with a cow and a donkey looking on; two birds in the border. Some damage to the child with minor loss of paint.

4. Folio 65v, the Annunciation to the Shepherds; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing two shepherds in the foreground, one playing the bagpipes the other holding a staff, before a flock of sheep and a winding river, as an angel descends from above holding a banderole; in the background another shepherd and two large buildings; two birds (one of which is a cockerel) in the border.

5. Folio 70r, the Adoration of the Magi; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing the Virgin and Christ child seated before the stable, with the three kings in attendance, the closest of which wears ermine, and is kneeling, having placed both his gift and his crown at the Virgin's feet; two birds in border. Some minor damage to the Christ child and Virgin.

6. Folio 74r, the Presentation in the Temple; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing the Virgin kneeling in prayer before the altar with Joseph standing behind her and an attendant with a water vessel looking on, as the priest holds the Christ child, all on a detailed background in which colour and gold paint is used to pick out architectural features of the temple and ornate gilded carvings on its supporting beam.

7. Folio 78r, the Flight into Egypt; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing Virgin and Christ child on a donkey which is lead by Joseph in a detailed rural scene, Bethelem as a walled medieval town with three towers in the background; two birds in border. Some minor paint flaking from the face of the child.

8. Folio 85r, the Coronation of the Virgin; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing the Virgin kneeling in prayer before Christ enthroned in rich robes highlighted in gold paint and holding an orb, who bears witness as an angel descends to place a crown on her head, all within a richly detailed interior; two birds in border.

9. Folio 90r, King David; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing David kneeling in prayer within the courtyard of a detailed medieval building, his harp before him, as a red angel bearing a sword appears in the sky; two birds in the border. Some flaking of paint from David's cloak and from the sky around the angel.

10. Folio 110r, the Crucifixion, arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing Christ on the cross with the Virgin and St. John to the left and a group of soldiers in ornate armour highlighted with gold paint to the right; a bird and a grotesque head in the border. Some flaking of paint from the Virgin and St. John, with minor loss of detail from the face of the Virgin.

11. Folio 116r, Pentecost; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing the Virgin and attendants, all kneeling in prayer as the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) descends; two birds in border. Some minor loss of paint from robes of foremost figures.

12. Folio 120v, the Raising of Lazarus; arch-topped half-page miniature, enclosing Christ, surrounded by followers, in the act of raising Lazarus from the dead, who sits upright, naked except for a shroud, in a coffin; the figures of St. John and the kneeling Virgin in the foreground; two birds in margin. Some loss of paint from the figure of the Virgin.