Commendation of Souls, 8 leaves from a book of hours, manuscript on vellum, [France, early 15th century]

The Commendation of Souls from a Book of Hours

illuminated manuscript in Latin and French [Northern France, early 15th century]

manuscript on vellum, a complete quire of 8 leaves, c. 207×150mm, written with 16 lines in a formal gothic textura, illuminated with one large foliate initial prolonged into a three-sided border, and 10 small champie initials, numerous one-line initials alternately gold with blue flourishing or blue with red, and line-fillers; the three margins of the first leaf excised; bound in paper boards with tan sheepskin spine

The text comprises the complete Commendation of Souls (which consists of Psalms 113-116 and prayers), here introduced by a rubric in French, 'Sens(uivent) les comendasses'. In France the text was popular in the fourteenth century, but fell out of use during the first half of the fifteenth. It is not to be confused with another text with the same name (consisting mainly of the very long Psalm 118) which became popular in Sarum Books of Hours, including those made in Flanders for English patrons.

PROVENANCE

With a clipping from a bookseller's (Maggs?) catalogue and pencilled bookseller codes; Inscribed in pencil "Ex libris Alexander Scott Carlin, London 1921" and "MS No. 5"