Beschreibung:

[Book of Hours - Bruges] Horae. Use of Rome. [Bruges, third quarter of the XVth c.] 12mo (8,8 x 6,4 cm), writing area (5 x 3,5 cm): ff., Latin manuscript on fine vellum, ll. in the Calendar, in the text, written in red and brown in a fine gothica rotunda hand. Fifteen full-page miniatures with full border decoration, as well as full borders on the facing folios, and eleven small miniatures (two miniatures sl. rubbed on ff. [26v] and [32v] and sl. offset on f. [27r], f. [with a tiny tear in the ill. border and a sm. hole with loss of a few letters, some prayers on ff. [27-28], [and [obliterated in red, text on f. [196v] scratched with ink residue, tiny wormholes in first and last ff., sl. trimmed, mod. ms. foliation in bl. margins with some mistakes). Old pink velvet binding, spine with 4 raised bands, a.e.g. (sl. rubbed, tiny worm tracks on upper pastedown and flyleaf). In a slipcase. With wide margins on text leaves and in overall fine condition. Splendid copy, with outstanding provenance, mentioned in numerous major publications on Flemish illuminations since the famous Burlington Fine Arts Club exhibition catalogue of It has always been attributed to the workshop of Willem Vrelant yet several miniatures are identifiable as the work of the Master of Saint Hadrian, one of the artists in Vrelant’s prolific workshop. This artist was identified by Jean M. Caswell for his extensive contribution to the "Morgan-Mâcon Golden Legend" (NY, Morgan Library & Museum, M. 672-Mâcon, BM, Ms. 3), and referred to by Anne van Buren as Vrelant’s chief associate, as well as for his collaboration in the second volume of the "Chroniques de Hainaut" (Brussels, KBR, which is the documented manuscript for which "Guillaume Wyelant" received payment for its decoration. Contents: Calendar; Hours of the Cross; Hours of the Holy Ghost; Prayers to the Virgin, Hours of the Virgin, use of Rome; Office of the Virgin for Advent; Penitential Psalms and Litany; Office of the Dead; Psalter of St. Jerome; Invocations of Saints (female saints before male saints); Prayers of the Passion. Decoration: Calendar in red and brown and burnished gold. Outlining of the arched compartments of the miniatures and of the text on the facing leaves executed in burnished gold. Fully illuminated and alternating burnished gold and blue initials with penwork decoration in the text. Illumination: fifteen large miniatures in arched compartments (5 x 3,5 cm) within full decorated borders (8 x 6 cm): Crucifixion (with a landscape of hills, trees and a city in the background), Pentecost, Education of Jesus (with an angel playing a violin), Annunciation, Visitation (in a landscape of hills and trees and in front of a house), Nativity (in a stable, with an ox and donkey, Joseph kneeling), Annunciation to the Shepherds (in the countryside with sheep), Adoration of the Magi (in front of a brick shelter), Presentation in the Temple, Massacre of the Innocents (in a gothic courtyard), Flight into Egypt (on a path in the countryside with a pagan idol breaking at the passing of the Christ Child and a city in the background), Coronation of the Virgin (in a room with Christ on a Throne, accompanied by the Holy Spirit and an angel), David in prayer (in a landscape of hills, trees and a city in the background), Office of the Dead (with three clergymen and three mourners, including two hooded), St. Jerome in prayer in front of Jesus on the Cross (his cardinal's robes on the ground and accompanied by a lion). Pages facing these large miniatures also have full borders, decorated with a five-line blue initial heightened with gold. Eleven smaller miniatures (2,5 x 2,5 cm) mostly within initials and with same borders: Pieta, Mary Magdalene, Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Clare, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, Bernardino of Siena, Anthony of Padua, Sebastian and the instruments of the Passion. The title and about half of the text of the Prayers to the Virgin are obliterated, as well as a part of th