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

192 leaves, plus 2 medieval flyleaves, 207 mm. by 140 mm., lacking a single leaf before fol. 12, an added leaf (or bifolium) before fol. 28, and two leaves after fol. 120, text after fol. 139 cancelled in the fifteenth century and replaced by fol. 140 (see below), else complete, collation: 2 flyleaves + i^{8, ii4, iii7 [of 8, lacking i], iv8, v8 [of 8 + 1 (or 2), lacking the inserted leaf], vi-xv8, xvi6 [of 8, lacking iv-v], xvii8, xviii8+1 [last leaf added in the fifteenth century], xix-xxiv8, xxv4, with horizontal catchwords, 14 lines, ruled in red ink, written-space 104 mm. by 72 mm., written in dark brown ink in a gothic liturgical hand, rubrics in red, Calendar in dark brown and two tones of red, capitals touched in yellow, versal initials and line-fillers throughout in burnished gold on pink and blue grounds with white tracery, 2- (and occasionally 3-line) initials throughout in leafy designs in colours with white heightening on burnished gold grounds with branching ivyleaf extensions into the borders}, outer margin of every page with a illuminated border, usually branching out of illuminated initials or line-fillers in three styles (a) little coloured petals on black hairline stems, (b) burnished gold ivyleaves on hairline stems, or (c) coloured and gold ivyleaves on thick prickly coloured stems, initials in burnished gold in almost every border, apparently "ua" and "un", thirteen large miniatures in square compartments above large initials and within full illuminated borders, two Italian fifteenth-century historiated initials pasted to last page, perhaps Verona, c. 1470, (a) initial 'O' with Saint Jerome, 65 mm. by 69 mm., and (b) initial 'E' with a saintly bishop, 67 mm. by 70 mm., marks from other apparently similar initials once pasted to front flyleaves, occasional thumb marks and minor wear, a bit dusty, generally in fine condition, nineteenth-century (presumably Scottish) blind-stamped russia, vellum endleaves, brown silk markers, edges gilt, title gilt, top of spine slightly defective

provenance

(1) Nearly every border includes a pair of letters in burnished gold, integral to the designs.  These letters appear to be 'va' (possibly 'na') and 'un' (or 'vn', possibly even 'vii').  They must surely conceal some enigmatic allusion to the patron.

(2) From the Boswell collection at Auchinleck House, in East Ayrshire, Scotland (see above), and by descent from Alexander Boswell (1707-1782), Lord Auchinleck, to his son, James Boswell (1740-1795), the biographer of Johnson, and through the family to James Boswell Talbot (1874-1948), sixth Baron Talbot of Malahide, at Malahide Castle, near Dublin, and sold privately in 1976 by Lady Talbot to a collector, from whom they have passed by descent to the present owner.

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), in French, including in red SS. Genevieve (3 January), Louis (25 August) and Denis (9 October), all of Paris; the Gospel Sequences (fol. 15r), preceded by preliminary prayers (fol. 13r) and followed by the O intemerata (fol. 20v) and Obsecro te, in female form ("michi famule tue"); the Hours of the Virgin "a neuf pseaumes", Use of Paris, with Matins (fol. 28r), including weekday variations, Lauds (fol. 54v), Prime (fol. 66v), Terce (fol. 73r), Sext (fol. 78r), None (fol. 82v), Vespers (fol. 87r) and Compline (fol. 94v); the Penitential Psalms (fol. 102r) and Litany (including SS Denis, Germanus, Fiacre, Maturinus, Geneviève, and others, all of Paris); the Hours of the Cross (fol. 121r) and of the Holy Ghost (fol. 124v); the Quinze Joyes (fol. 129r) and Sept Requêtes (fol. 135v), all in French; a Suffrage to Saint Jerome (fol. 139v – this was intended as the opening of the Psalter of Saint Jerome, but later in the fifteenth century this was removed, the 3 lines of text on fol. 139v were erased and re-written, and fol. 140 was added to complete the substituted text); and the Office of the Dead (fol. 141r).

illumination

This is an unrecorded manuscript in the classic style of the Boucicaut Master, named after the monumental Book of Hours made for Jean de Boucicaut, marshal of France (Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André, ms 2).  "It was the Limbourg brothers and the Boucicaut Master who elevated French manuscript illumination to new heights of originality that ... would rarely be equalled" (T. Kren, French Illuminated Manuscripts, 2007, p. xix).  Several striking compositions here derive almost directly from the Boucicaut Hours, including the Virgin and Saint Elizabeth at the Visitation (fol. 54v), where the flow of the drapery and slightly bent knee of Elizabeth entered the Master's repertoire (cf. M. Meiss, The Boucicaut Master, 1968, figs. 30 and 215); the Flight into Egypt (fol. 87r), with Joseph carrying a stick over his shoulder draped with a cloth and looking back (cf. Meiss, fig. 35); the Coronation of the Virgin (fol. 94v, cf. Meiss, fig. 36); and Saint Christopher (fol. 135v), which reproduces the Boucicaut pattern precisely, even to the swirling draperies and the shape of the hills (cf. Meiss, fig. 13).  Others, like the Shepherds and Coronation of the Virgin, are Boucicaut compositions in reverse.  Recent work on the Boucicaut Master by Gabriele Bartz and others now separates his style into two apparent workshops, that of the Boucicaut Hours itself and that named as the Mazarine Master, from Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine, ms 469 (cf. G. Bartz, Der Boucicaut-Meister, Tenschert, 1999).  The present Book of Hours seems to fall rather towards the Mazarine side of the divide, like the Book of Hours sold in our rooms, 23 June 1987, lot 105. 

The miniatures are: 

1, Folio 54v, the Visitation, the Virgin on the left greeting Saint Elizabeth, who wears a green cloak over a red dress, set in a meadow between two towering hills, 80 mm. by 75 mm., full border.

2, Folio 66v, the Nativity of Christ, the Virgin seated on a red bed set beneath a canopy with thatched roof and low wattled walls, Joseph asleep with his head on the pillow, the ox and the ass watching across their manger, 75 mm. by 72 mm.; full border.

3, Folio 73r, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, one leaning on a staff, the other with a flute and a dog, all gazing up at an angel with a long scroll ("Gloria in excelsis domino"), in a pastoral landscape, with sheep, hills and two trees, 73 mm. by  73 mm; full border.

4, Folio 78r, the Adoration of the Magi, the Virgin and Child seated on the foot of the red bed under a thatched canopy, the ox and ass watching across a wattled fence, the oldest king kneeling and offering a box of gold coins, the younger kings standing, a star in the sky, 73 mm. by 74 mm; full border.

5, Folio 82v, the Presentation in the Temple, the high priest behind an altar, reaching out with his hands beneath a pale yellow cloth, the Virgin standing holding the Child, a maid behind with a basket of doves, tiled floor, 74 mm.  by 73 mm.; full border.

6, Folio 87r, the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin and Child on a donkey, which is led uphill to the right by Joseph in a red tunic and with a staff over his shoulder, set in a field beside a hill and a tree, 75 mm. by 73 mm.; full border.

7, Folio 94v, the Coronation of the Virgin, Christ seated on the left on a throne draped in green cloth trimmed in red, the Virgin kneeling before him, an angel flying down with a coronet, a chair behind, tiled floor, 73 mm. by 73 mm.; full border.

8, Folio 102r, Christ in Glory, seated on a rainbow with his feet on a golden orb, set in an aperture opening in the heavens, hovering angels holding the pillar and the Cross, 75 mm. by 75 mm.; full border.

9, Folio 124v, Pentecost, the Virgin seated among the apostles, the Holy Dove above sending down rays of light, tiled floor, 75 mm. by 73 mm.; full border.

10, Folio 129r, the Virgin and Child seated on a chair, being brought a basket of fruit by an angel kneeling before them, tiled floor, 76 mm. by 73 mm.; full border.

11, Folio 135v, Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child on his shoulders through a choppy sea, mountains in the foreground and beyond, with a tree, 73 mm. by 73 mm.; full border.

12, Folio 139v, Saint Jerome, kneeling before his gothic chair, looking up at God appearing in the sky, a bookcase with manuscripts on the right and a lion raising its paw, 75 mm. by 72 mm.; full border.

13, Folio 141r, the Raising of Lazarus, Christ leaning forward to assist a shrouded man sitting up in a sarcophagus, a group of saints watching from the left, 74 mm. by 73 mm.; full border.