Beschreibung:

BOOK OF HOURS, use of Paris, in Latin and French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [northern France, ?Paris, c.1470] 162 x 108mm. 173 leaves + i, 1 1 2, 2 8(i an inserted blank to replace lacking leaf with miniature), 3 4, 4 8, 5 8, 6 7(of 8, viii cancelled blank), 7-11 8, 12 2, 13-14 8, 15 4, 16 8, 17-21 8, 22 7(of 8, iv lacking with miniature), 23 8, 24 2, vertical catchwords at lower inner margin on final versos, 16 lines written in a gothic bookhand in black-brown ink between two verticals and 17 horizontals ruled in dark pink, justification: 84 x 53mm, rubrics in dark pink, calendar in dark pink and blue with feasts in burnished gold, one- and two-line initials of burnished gold on alternate grounds of pink or blue with infills of the contrasting colour, with white penwork decoration, similar line-endings, twelve three-line initials of blue with white tracery on burnished gold grounds with infills with sprays of blue and orange ivy-leaves, panel borders throughout of divided fields with blue and gold acanthus scrolls and sprays of flowers and fruit on liquid gold or parchment grounds, THIRTEEN SMALL MINIATURES and one illuminated initial accompanied by three-sided borders of similar forms, TWELVE LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES in gold and colours with full-page borders of similar type, incorporating birds or grotesque heads (occasional smudging, some miniatures and initials rubbed with small areas of pigment loss). FINE ENGLISH RESTORATION BINDING POSSIBLY BY RICHARD BALLEY of red ?goatskin with black and citron ?goatskin onlays, tooled in gilt with a panel design, tulips, flowers, urns and trailing foliate stems, spine in six compartments tooled in gilt with two alternating geometric patterns(corners and head and tail of spine lightly rubbed, superficial cracks to joints). PROVENANCE: 1. An inscription on the front endleaf in an 18th-century hand reads, 'This book once belonged to the closet of the King, and was bought my me, A.S.': this was presumably intended as a reference to James II. 2. Armorial bookplate inside upper cover 3. H.E. Brown of Barton Hall and H.L. Brown: bookplate on front endpaper and signature on endleaf CONTENT: Calendar ff.1-12; Gospel extracts, lacking opening of John ff.14-18; Obsecro te.. ff.18v-21v; O intermerata ff.21v-23v; Office of the Virgin use of Paris ff.25-89v: matins f.25-47v, lauds ff.48-59, prime ff.59v-65, terce ff.65v-69v, sext ff.70-73v, none ff.74-77v, vespers ff.78-84v, compline ff.85-89v; Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.90-108v; Hours of the Holy Cross ff.110-115v; Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.116-120; Office of the Dead, lacking ending ff.120v-160v; 15 Joys of the Virgin, lacking opening ff.161-165; Seven Requests to our Lord ff.165-167v; Suffrages to the Saints ff.168-173: Michael f.168, Peter and Paul f.168v, John f.169, Sebastian f.170, Nicholas f.170v, Mary Magdalene f.171, Catherine f.172, Geneviève f.172v ILLUMINATION: This Book of Hours is likely to have been painted in Paris, or by a Parisian trained illuminator, and the influence of Maître François and his workshop is apparent in the full sequence of miniatures. The subjects of the miniatures are as follows: f.14v St Luke writing, accompanied by his ox f.16 St Matthew, preparing to write on scroll, accompanied by his angel f.17v St Mark, preparing to write, accompanied by his lion f.18v Pietà f.25 Annunciation f.48 Visitation f.59v Nativity f.65v Annunciation to the Shepherds f.70 Adoration of the Magi f.74 Presentation in the Temple f.78 Flight into Egypt f.85 Coronation of the Virgin f.90 David praying, his harp by his side, with angel above f.110 Crucifixion f.116 Pentecost f.120v The Raising of Lazarus f.165 Trinity f.168 St Michael the Archangel vanquishing Lucifer f.168v St Peter and St Paul f.169 St John the Apostle f.170 St Sebastian shot with arrows f.170v St Nicholas reviving the Three Youths f.171 St Mary Magdalene f.172 St Catherine f.172v St Geneviève