Lot 64
  • 64

Book of Hours, Use of Paris, in Latin and French [France (Paris), c.1500-10]

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description

  • manuscript and pigment on vellum
180x125mm, vellum, i+132+i leaves, bound too tightly to allow confident collation, but apparently complete, 21 lines, 100x60mm, 2 FULL-PAGE, 14 LARGE, AND 41 SMALL MINIATURES, PANEL BORDERS ON ALL TEXT PAGES, illuminated initials and line-fillers, two tiny holes in the first miniature, minor thumbing, bound in modern green velvet, gilt edges

Catalogue Note

PROVENANCE

(1) The style of illumination, liturgical Use, and presence of St Genevieve in gold in the calendar, and a suffrage to her with a miniature, indicate that the book was produced in Paris. (2) Blue hexagonal ink-stamp surmounted by a coronet, erased (f.1r). (3) The Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam: for details, see the previous lot.

TEXT AND ILLUMINATION

Calendar in French, with an entry for every day and one month per page, in two columns (f.2r); Gospel extracts (f.8r); prayers Obsecro te (f.12v) and I [sic] intemerata (f.15r), both using masculine forms; Hours of the Virgin, Use of Paris, with Matins (f.17r), Lauds (f.33r), Prime (f.42r), Terce (f.47r), Sext (f.51r), None (f.54r), Vespers (f.57r), Compline (f.62r); Hours of the Spirit (f.68r); Penitential Psalms (f.71r), litany (f.79v); Office of the Dead (f.85r); the Quinze joies (f.118r) and Sept requêtes (f.122r) both in French; suffrages (f.125r).

This manuscript was illuminated by different hands working in a homogenous style popular in Paris in the early 16th century. Most remarkable is the addition of two full-page miniatures, namely Adam and Eve facing January in the Calendar, and Christ Carrying the Cross opposite Job on the Dungheap.

The subjects of the full-page miniatures are: (1) f.1v, Adam and Eve tempted by the Serpent; (2) f.84v, Christ Carrying the Cross. The subjects of the large miniatures are: (1) f.8r, John on Patmos; (2) f.17r, Annunciation; (3) f.33r, Visitation; (4) f.42r, Nativity (5) f.47r, Annunciation to the Shepherds; (6) f.51r, Adoration of the Magi; (7) f.54r, Presentation in the Temple; (8) f.57r, Flight into Egypt; (9) f.62r, Coronation of the Virgin; (10) f.68r, Pentecost; (11) f.71r, David spying on Bethsheba; (12) f.85r, Job on the dungheap; (13) f.118r, Virgin and Child enthroned; (14) f.122r, Gnadenstuhl Trinity. The subjects of the small miniatures are: (1-24) ff.2r-7v, 12 zodiac symbols and 12 occupations of the months; (25) f.9r, Luke; (26) f.10v, Matthew; (27) f.11v, Mark; (28) f.12v, Virgin and Child; (29) f.15r, Virgin and Child; (30) f.125r, Trinity enthroned; (31) f.125v, Michael; (32) f.126r, John the Baptist; (33) f.126v, Peter & Paul; (34) f.127r, Sebastian; (35) f.127v, Nicholas (36) f.128r, Anthony Abbot (f.128r); (37) f.128v, Anne teaching the Virgin to read; (38) f.129r, Mary Magdalene; (39) f.129v, Katherine; (40) f.130r, Margaret; (41) f.130v, Genevieve.