Beschreibung:

BOOK OF HOURS, in Latin and French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Bruges, c.1440] 154 x 168mm. 177 leaves: 1 1 2, 2 5, 3-4 8, 5 1 0, 6 1 2, 7 1 1, 8 1 3, 9 1 0, 10-11 8, 12 9, 13 1 0, 14 8, 15 1 0, 16-18 8, 19 5, 20 6 (collation according to binder's signature marks on the first recto of each gathering) COMPLETE, 13 lines written in black ink in a gothic bookhand between two verticals and 14 horizontals ruled in dark pink, justification: 100 x 65mm, rubrics in red, text capitals touched red, line-endings of red and blue, one-line initials alternately of gold and blue with flourishing of black and red respectively, two-line initials of burnished gold with grounds and infills of dark pink and blue with white penwork decoration, major texts open with four-line initials with staves of pink or blue against a ground of the contrasting colour and infills of burnished gold with curling ivy-leaf stems of red and blue, these initials accompanied by full-page borders with a bar baguette of gold and pink or blue and hairline tendrils with small gold leaves and terminals of fruit and flowers, a spray of fruit and flowers in the outer corners, FOURTEEN LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES with full-page borders of similar forms but without the corner sprays and SIX SMALL MINIATURES WITH PAIRS OF STANDING SAINTS with part-borders, an inserted Italian miniature (some folios darkened or with ink offsetting, slight smudging of ink and abrasion of gold leaf in many borders, ff.15 and 16 with sewing holes from pilgrims' badges, repair to tear on blank recto of f.16). Panelled blind-stamped brown morocco by Rivire with two illuminated borders mounted inside upper cover and a coloured engraving pasted inside the lower cover. PROVENANCE: The presence of St Piat in red (1 October)in the Calendar suggests that the Hours may have been made for use in Tournai; the antiphons for prime and none also conform with Tournai use. CONTENT: Calendar ff.1-12; Easter dates for 1445-49 ff.14r&v; Hours of the Cross ff.1725v; Office of the Virgin ff.27-96v: matins f.27, lauds f.41, prime f.55, terce f.62, sext f.67, none f.72, vespers f.77, compline f.86; Prayers to the Virgin and Christ opening Gaude flore virginali ff..98-105v; Suffrages to St Michael (f.106), John the Baptist (f.106v), St Peter (f.107v), St James (f.108), St Nicholas (f.109), St Francis (f.109v), St Adrian (f.110v), St Antony (f.111v), St Maur (f.112), Mary Magdalene (f112v), St Apollonia (f.113v), St Anne (f.114); Seven Penitential Psalms ff.116-130; Litany ff.130v-136); Office of the Dead ff.137-169v; added prayer to St Christopher f.170r&v; further added prayers opening with Pater noster excellus in creatione ff.171-177 ILLUMINATION: The miniatures of this Hours are attractive and detailed work of two artists working in the style identified as that of the Masters of the Gold Scrolls. These were a prolific group of illuminators at work in Bruges in the first half of the fifteenth century. The red backgrounds with gold scrolling decoration that gave the style its name can be seen as backdrops to the miniatures of the Crucifixion, the Annunciation, the Last Judgement and the series of small miniatures with paired standing saints that illustrate the Suffrages. The latter are executed with a care and attention to detail not always found in manuscripts of this style. The two borders pasted inside the upper cover are French illumination of the late 15th century; each includes a figure from scriptural narrative, one with Samson carrying away the gates of Gaza and the other showing Reuben emerging from the well. The inserted miniature of Pentecost pasted on to f.171v is by the Master of the Birago Hours, an illuminator who worked for the Sforza court in Milan in the second half of the 15th century. The subjects of the original miniatures are as follows: f.13v Martyrdom of St Quentin f.15 St Peter f.16v Crucifixion with the Virgin and John the Evangelist f.27 Annunciation f.40v Visitation f.5