An aristocratic woman’s head and a Man dancing, historiated initial and marginal figure on a leaf from the Ghistelles Hours, in Latin [Flanders (Bruges?), c.1300]

single leaf, c.120×84mm, vellum, 11 lines, c.60×47mm, with a HISTORIATED INITIAL probably for Sext in the Hours of the Virgin, with Psalm 21:1–19 and the antiphon ‘Posuerunt super caput eius’,  slight flaking of gold, small pigment losses, and a tiny hole in the upper corner

(1) John III of Ghistelles (d.1315), lord of Ghistelles and Ingelmunster, whose family arms appear on a number of leaves, is usually proposed as the patron of the parent manuscript. But given the dainty size and preponderance of depictions of aristocratic ladies (as on the present leaf), it was perhaps more likely to have been made for a woman in his family circle. The calendar (now at the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore) includes an Easter Table for the years 1300–1316, suggesting that it was written in 1299 or 1300. (2) The imperfect volume was broken up by 1950 by Heinrich Eisemann (d.1972). (3) The present leaf was sold, together with the following two lots, in our rooms, 2 December 2003, lot 12.

The 14th century saw the Psalter and Psalter-Hours give way to the fully-fledged Book of Hours as the standard book of private devotion of the laity and secular patrons. This and the next two lots are leaves from one of the most enchanting of the very earliest of Flemish Books of Hours, many of which seem to have been made in the area of the Franco-Flemish border – a time and place that also corresponds to the great flowering of marginal decoration (as opposed to foliate borders).

A list of leaves is given by M. Manion, et al., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in New Zealand Collections, 1989, no.72, since when a number have appeared on the market, two leaves with historiated initials, for example, were in the Korner sale in our rooms, 7 July 2009, lot 105.

From the same manuscript as the following two lots.