Beschreibung:

BOOK OF HOURS, use of Paris, in Latin, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Paris?, circa 1430] 178x126mm, 172 leaves, COMPLETE, collation: 1 12 2 8 3 4 4-21 8 22 4 , with catchwords, 15 lines, ruled in red with occasional pricking in outer margin, justification 91x56mm, written in brown ink in a gothic textura, rubrics in red, one-line initials in gold on blue and red ground with white tracery, similar two- and three- line initials with ivy leaf extensions along the length of the page, line-fillers in red, blue and gold with white tracery, 15 LARGE MINIATURES within arched compartments, with four lines of text below, and burnished gold frames filled with stylized acanthus leaves, and a border of gold ivy leaves and painted flowers on hairline stems, 15th- century Parisian calf over wooden boards stamped in blind with an outer roll border of fleur-de-lys, surrounding a centre panel of 4 vertical rolls of square stamps containing stars (spine very worn, but holding, corners and edges worn, clasps lacking) PROVENANCE Made for the use of Paris, St.Genevieve appears in red (3 January) and her translation in black, for a woman before her marriage, who is shown in the miniature on folio 162. We have been unable to identify the arms in the border of folio 162: bendy of 6 pieces, argent on gules; and on folio 25, after her marriage, where these arms are divided with demi-fleur-de-lis argent, 3 lozenges or, on gules. Although there are numerous 16th century devotional inscriptions there are no later ownership marks TEXT (f.1) Calendar in French, full for every day. (f.13) Gospel Sequences. (f.17v) Obsecro te, for a male supplicant. (f.21) O intemerata. (f.25) Hours of the Virgin; Matins. (f.46v) Lauds. (f.57v) Prime. (f.63) Terce. (f.67v) Sext. (f.71v) None. (f.76) Vespers. (f.83) Compline. (f.89) Penitential Psalms. (f.106) Hours of the Cross. (f.113) Hours of the Holy Ghost. (f.119) Office of the Dead. (f.162v) 15 joys of the Virgin, in French. (f.168v) Seven requests of the Lord, in French. (f.172) Small prayers added on verso of last leaf DECORATION: Illuminated by an unidentified minor artist, who seems to have been a follower of or influenced by the Master of the Munich Golden Legend. The subjects of the miniatures are: folio 25. Annunciation, in a garden, but within a red-domed chamber folio 46v. Visitation, a red starry background suffused with golden rays behind folio 57v. Nativity, the Virgin lying on a red bed, the Child in a cot of green wattle, an ass and an ox looking over the side, Joseph's head appears at the back folio 63. Annunciation to the Shepherds (somewhat smudged) folio 67v. Adoration of the Magi, in a garden surrounded by a wattled fence folio 71v. Presentation in the temple (very minor smudging) folio 76. Flight into Egypt folio 83. The Virgin before Christ in Majesty folio 89. King David at prayer in a garden, God above a red sky with golden rays folio 106. Crucifixion, the Virgin and St.John below folio 113. Pentecost folio 119. A funeral service, three monks singing and two mourners folio 162v. Virgin and Child enthroned against a background of burnished gold. The patron is praying before her, she is wearing a fur-lined red cloak and a hat made of peacock feathers, she is trailing a gold-tipped black belt before her. folio 168v. Christ on a rainbow, his feet resting on a golden orb, in a landscape between trees