Book of Hours, Use of Reims, in Latin and French [France (Paris), c.1410-20]

150x105mm, vellum, ii+152+ii, lacking a number of leaves with text and miniatures in the Hours of the Virgin, the much rarer texts apparently complete, 17 lines, 83x55mm, 3 FULL-PAGE AND 2 LARGE MINIATURES, illuminated initials and line-fillers, some thumbing, 16th-century extensively gilt calf binding, each cover with a central oval depicting the Crucifixion, the front board rather worn, its corners repaired, the front joint cracking, the top of the spine defective

PROVENANCE

(1) The book was produced for a female owner, as shown by feminine forms (‘michi indigne peccatrici’, f.142v); the calendar includes the feasts of Remi (1 Oct.) and ‘La dedicace nostre dame’ (18 Oct.), both of Reims and both in red; while the suffrage St Gond, whose relics were at Oyes, in the diocese of Reims about 40 miles south-west of the city, suggests where she lived. (2) Still owned by a woman when the 15th-century additions were made (‘michi famule tue’, f.2r; ‘michi indigne ancille tue’, f.152r). (3) Ownership inscription of ‘citoyen Pierre Bouvet’, son of Jean ‘labourer’, of Bragelogne, near Bar-sur-Seine, south of Troyes, signed and dated 1793, ‘l’an deuxiême de la republique française’ (front flyleaf).

TEXT AND ILLUMINATION

Added 15th-century suffrage to Christopher (f.2); Calendar in French (f.5r); Hours of the Virgin, Use of Reims, with Matins (f.18r), Lauds (f.26r), Prime (f.34r), Terce (f.37r), Sext (f.40r), None (f.42v), Vespers (f.46r), Compline (f.51r), several of the hours starting imperfectly; Penitential Psalms (f.56r), litany (f.65v); Office of the Dead, Use of Reims (f.70r); the Quinze joies (f.107r) and Sept requêtes (f.111v), and a long verse prayer ‘Glorieux vierge royne …’ (f.115v) all in French; Gospel extract from John (f.123r); prayer to the Virgin (f.124r); Hours of the Cross in French (‘Se sont les heures de la crois en rommant’) (f.124v), and various prayers, mostly in French, including the ‘O intemerata en fransois’ (f.129r), ‘Douce dame sancte Marie …’, and a suffrage to St Gond (‘Je comparray saint Gaon a l’omme sage qui edifia sa maison sus la pierre ferma …’, f.137v), several with rubrics detailing indulgences; added 15th-century prayers in Latin and French (f.145v).

The miniatures on ff.42v, 51r, and 55v are close to the work of the MASTER OF GUY DE LAVAL who was responsible for a Book of Hours for that duke (coll. Renate König, on deposit in Cologne, Erzdiözesanmuseum; see G. Bartz, Das Stundenbuch des Guy de Laval, 2004). This artist has also been called the Guise Master after his miniatures in the Hours of François de Guise (Chantilly, Musée Condé, ms.64). The other two full-page miniatures, painted in different styles but both relating to the southern Netherlands were added later. That on f.17v was made in Bruges c.1410-20 and represents the latter stage of the 'pre-Eyckian' period, often summarised as the USHAW GROUP, defined after a manuscript in Durham, Ushaw College, MS 10.

The subjects of the three full-page miniatures are: (1) f.17v, St Barbara; (2) f.55v, David in Penitence; (3) f.106v, Virgin and Child; and of the two large miniatures: (1) f.42v, Presentation in the Temple; (2) f.51r, Coronation of the Virgin.