Details
BOOK OF HOURS, use of Paris, in Latin, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[Paris, circa 1480]
142x100mm, 165 leaves, plus 9 later added vellum leaves, (lacking at least one leaf after f.100; collation is difficult as the book is very tightly bound), 15 lines, ruled in red, justification 78x48mm, written in brown ink in a gothic textura, rubrics in blue, one-line initials and line-fillers in gold on blue and red ground with white tracery, two- and three-line initials in blue on gold ground infilled with foliate decoration, calendar and text leaves throughout within a later gold and blue ruled frame, probably added about 1600 with the additional vellum leaves, all blank except the border, only the first titled in gold with floral surround. 6 SMALL MINIATURES, MOSTLY 8-LINE, WITHIN THREE-QUARTER BORDERS OF COLOURED ACANTHUS LEAVES, FRUIT AND FLOWERS AND GOLDEN LEAVES ON HAIRLINE STEMS, CONTAINING FIGURES OF KNIGHTS ON HORSEBACK, STANDING, FIGHTING AND STRANGE AND GROTESQUE ANIMALS, 12 LARGE MINIATURES in arched compartments, above 4 lines of text, within similar full borders (4 miniatures somewhat rubbed or flaking). 18th-century dark brown calf, border of covers and spine tooled in gilt with stamps of the Symbols of the Passion
PROVENANCE:
(1) Illuminated for the use of Paris, St.Genevieve and her translation appear in gold in the calendar, as well as St.Denis. (2) He. Harlay, prestre de l'Oratoire, 1602, who signed his name beneath some precepts on the second preliminary leaf. (3) Joannes Barberin, presbyter, 1724. wrote his name in the lower roundel of the title leaf, and in his hand 'Leonard Dessenaut mort. 1722, mardi 21 avril', in the upper roundel. (4) The manuscript was in England in the early 19th century, according to a note pasted on the last leaf, stating that it was a 13th-century manuscript
TEXT:
(ff 1-12) Calendar in French, with saints for every day of the year. (f.13) Gospel Sequences. (f.22) Passion according to St.John. (f.25) Le sept joies nostre dame, and other prayers. (f.32) Obsecro te. (f.37) O intemerata. (f.40) De la couronne nostre seigneur Cruci corone spinee sacro quem ferro lancee honorem. (f.45) Hours of the Virgin; Matins. (f.74v) Lauds; (f.88v) Hours of the Cross, Matins. (f.90v) Hours of the Holy Ghost, Matins. (f.92) Prime; (f.101) Terce (lacking first leaf). (f.108) Sext; (f.115v) None (rubric wrongly states Sext); (f.124) Vespers; (f.133v) Compline. (f.143 blank). (f.144) Penitential Psalms. (f.165) rubric for Office of the Dead. The Office is not present and appears never to have been inserted in this manuscript. The canonical hours of the Cross and of the Holy Ghost are added throughout to the hours of the Virgin
DECORATION:
The illumination can be attributed to the Maître de Jacques de Besançon or his workshop, active in Paris between 1472 and 1498. He is also known as the "Chief Associate of the Maître François" as described by John Plummer in The Last Flowering nos.89-91, who completed two manuscripts of the Maître François. "Included in his large output are many Books of Hours ranging from rather routine manuscripts to such regal Horae as the one in Madrid made originally for Charles VIII but adapted for use by his successor Louis XII". Cf. Les Manuscrits à Peinture en France pp 256ff.
The subjects of the 12 large miniatures are:
folio 13. St.John on Patmos, writing, a golden eagle beside him, a city at the back and a golden dragon in the sky
folio 40. Mass of St.Gregory, who is praying to Christ rising from the tomb, the instruments of the Passion around him
folio 45. Annunciation. An angel carrying a golden banner approaches the Virgin in a gothic chamber, the sacred Dove above
folio 74v. The Visitation. The Virgin, with Joseph, a very old man walking with a stick, meets Elizabeth, a city behind (very slightly flaked)
folio 88v. Crucifixion. Two Maries at one side of the Cross, a group of soldiers, one carrying a flag at the other
folio 90v. Pentecost. The Virgin and Apostles in a gothic chamber (somewhat flaked)
folio 92. Nativity. The Virgin adoring the Child, Joseph warming a towel before the fire, in a thatched hut. (The head of the Child rubbed)
folio 108. The Adoration of the Magi. (A little flaking)
folio 115v. Presentation in the Temple. Mary, Joseph and Anna the prophetess before the priest
folio 124. Flight into Egypt. (The sky slightly flaking)
folio 133v. Coronation of the Virgin, who is blessed by God enthroned, while an angel surrounded by seraphs, places a crown on her head. (A little flaked)
folio 144. The Last Judgement. Christ on orb, surrounded by angels playing trumpets, the Virgin and St.Peter on clouds, three souls rising from their graves below
The 6 small miniatures represent:
(f.15v) St.Luke. (f.17v) St.Matthew. (f.20v) St.Mark. (f.22) The Flagellation. (f.32) Virgin and Child. (f.37) Pieta
[Paris, circa 1480]
142x100mm, 165 leaves, plus 9 later added vellum leaves, (lacking at least one leaf after f.100; collation is difficult as the book is very tightly bound), 15 lines, ruled in red, justification 78x48mm, written in brown ink in a gothic textura, rubrics in blue, one-line initials and line-fillers in gold on blue and red ground with white tracery, two- and three-line initials in blue on gold ground infilled with foliate decoration, calendar and text leaves throughout within a later gold and blue ruled frame, probably added about 1600 with the additional vellum leaves, all blank except the border, only the first titled in gold with floral surround. 6 SMALL MINIATURES, MOSTLY 8-LINE, WITHIN THREE-QUARTER BORDERS OF COLOURED ACANTHUS LEAVES, FRUIT AND FLOWERS AND GOLDEN LEAVES ON HAIRLINE STEMS, CONTAINING FIGURES OF KNIGHTS ON HORSEBACK, STANDING, FIGHTING AND STRANGE AND GROTESQUE ANIMALS, 12 LARGE MINIATURES in arched compartments, above 4 lines of text, within similar full borders (4 miniatures somewhat rubbed or flaking). 18th-century dark brown calf, border of covers and spine tooled in gilt with stamps of the Symbols of the Passion
PROVENANCE:
(1) Illuminated for the use of Paris, St.Genevieve and her translation appear in gold in the calendar, as well as St.Denis. (2) He. Harlay, prestre de l'Oratoire, 1602, who signed his name beneath some precepts on the second preliminary leaf. (3) Joannes Barberin, presbyter, 1724. wrote his name in the lower roundel of the title leaf, and in his hand 'Leonard Dessenaut mort. 1722, mardi 21 avril', in the upper roundel. (4) The manuscript was in England in the early 19th century, according to a note pasted on the last leaf, stating that it was a 13th-century manuscript
TEXT:
(ff 1-12) Calendar in French, with saints for every day of the year. (f.13) Gospel Sequences. (f.22) Passion according to St.John. (f.25) Le sept joies nostre dame, and other prayers. (f.32) Obsecro te. (f.37) O intemerata. (f.40) De la couronne nostre seigneur Cruci corone spinee sacro quem ferro lancee honorem. (f.45) Hours of the Virgin; Matins. (f.74v) Lauds; (f.88v) Hours of the Cross, Matins. (f.90v) Hours of the Holy Ghost, Matins. (f.92) Prime; (f.101) Terce (lacking first leaf). (f.108) Sext; (f.115v) None (rubric wrongly states Sext); (f.124) Vespers; (f.133v) Compline. (f.143 blank). (f.144) Penitential Psalms. (f.165) rubric for Office of the Dead. The Office is not present and appears never to have been inserted in this manuscript. The canonical hours of the Cross and of the Holy Ghost are added throughout to the hours of the Virgin
DECORATION:
The illumination can be attributed to the Maître de Jacques de Besançon or his workshop, active in Paris between 1472 and 1498. He is also known as the "Chief Associate of the Maître François" as described by John Plummer in The Last Flowering nos.89-91, who completed two manuscripts of the Maître François. "Included in his large output are many Books of Hours ranging from rather routine manuscripts to such regal Horae as the one in Madrid made originally for Charles VIII but adapted for use by his successor Louis XII". Cf. Les Manuscrits à Peinture en France pp 256ff.
The subjects of the 12 large miniatures are:
folio 13. St.John on Patmos, writing, a golden eagle beside him, a city at the back and a golden dragon in the sky
folio 40. Mass of St.Gregory, who is praying to Christ rising from the tomb, the instruments of the Passion around him
folio 45. Annunciation. An angel carrying a golden banner approaches the Virgin in a gothic chamber, the sacred Dove above
folio 74v. The Visitation. The Virgin, with Joseph, a very old man walking with a stick, meets Elizabeth, a city behind (very slightly flaked)
folio 88v. Crucifixion. Two Maries at one side of the Cross, a group of soldiers, one carrying a flag at the other
folio 90v. Pentecost. The Virgin and Apostles in a gothic chamber (somewhat flaked)
folio 92. Nativity. The Virgin adoring the Child, Joseph warming a towel before the fire, in a thatched hut. (The head of the Child rubbed)
folio 108. The Adoration of the Magi. (A little flaking)
folio 115v. Presentation in the Temple. Mary, Joseph and Anna the prophetess before the priest
folio 124. Flight into Egypt. (The sky slightly flaking)
folio 133v. Coronation of the Virgin, who is blessed by God enthroned, while an angel surrounded by seraphs, places a crown on her head. (A little flaked)
folio 144. The Last Judgement. Christ on orb, surrounded by angels playing trumpets, the Virgin and St.Peter on clouds, three souls rising from their graves below
The 6 small miniatures represent:
(f.15v) St.Luke. (f.17v) St.Matthew. (f.20v) St.Mark. (f.22) The Flagellation. (f.32) Virgin and Child. (f.37) Pieta