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This Book of Hours for the Use of Paris, typical of luxury manuscripts created at the beginning of the fifteenth century, is richly illuminated with fourteen large miniatures and thirty-four small miniatures, as well as calendar vignettes and twenty-eight historiated and inhabited initials. The book begins with a calendar (pp. 1-24), in French, followed by Gospel Lessons (pp. 25-39), illustrated with miniatures of the Evangelists, and the Passion according to Saint John and to Saint Matthew (pp. 41-74, beginning and miniature for both sections lacking). The Hours of the Virgin (pp. 77-192) was planned with an extra page tipped-in to accommodate a large miniature (pp. 75-76), but this was never completed; the remaining miniatures from the Hours of the Virgin are intact. The Hours of the Cross (pp. 193-202), introduced by a miniature of the Crucifixion, is followed by the Hours of the Holy Spirit (pp. 203-210, miniature lacking). The Penitential Psalms, Litany, and Prayers (pp. 213-252) are introduced by a miniature of King David in Prayer. The Fifteen Joys of the Virgin and the Seven Requests to Our Lord follow (pp. 253-264), though each has lost its initial miniature. The Office of the Dead (pp. 265-347) begins with a miniature showing a Funeral Scene. The suffrages (pp. 349-426) are richly illustrated with small miniatures, beginning with The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Faithful, and include unusual saints such as Roman and Audoen (?), Nicasius and his companions, Leobinus, Giles, Erkenwald, Susanna, Avia and Austrebertha. The presence of Saint Erkenwald may indicate that the book was made for an English patron resident in Paris during the occupation. The suffrages are followed by a prayer to the Virgin in French (pp. 427-438). The book's most distinguishing feature are its set of twenty-four readings for Masses (pp. 439-566), each introduced by an inhabited or historiated initial. A portrait of the book's unidentified female owner, dressed in red, is included on p. 566. The "Salve regina" prayer, introduced by an inhabited initial of the Virgin and Child, is followed by prayers for the Elevation of the Host and Salutations (pp. 567-575). Another section of Marian and other prayers is introduced by an historiated initial showing the Virgin Mary weaving (pp. 576-582). The book is concluded by the Obsecro te and O intemerata (pp. 583-595), introduced by another inhabited initial of the Virgin and Child. Millard Meiss attributed the miniatures with diapered backgrounds in the Hours of the Virgin and the Crucifixion to the Circle of Jacquemart de Hesdin, and the more painterly miniatures found in the calendar (except for the retouched July), the four Evangelists, and everything after David at Prayer in the Penitential Psalms to the Atelier of the Bedford Master. The miniatures on pages 13, 171, 351, 378, and 424 have been retouched, perhaps while the volume was in the possession of Frédéric Spitzer. No earlier provenance for the manuscript is known.
Support: Parchment; Extent: ii+299+ii; 207 x 138 mm bound to 218 x 158 mm; Foliation: Nineteenth- or twentieth-century pagination in ink, upper right recto and upper left verso; Collation: 1 (12), 2 (8), 3 (10, -1 -7), 4 (8), 5 (9, +2), 6-12 (8), 13 (8, -1), 14 (4), 15 (8), 16 (8, -7), 17 (8, -4), 18 (6), 19-22 (8), 23 (2), 24 (8), 25 (8, -6), 26-27 (8), 28 (6), 29-39 (8); Catchwords: Horizontal catchwords, lower right recto, some trimmed, at pages 56, 72, 90, 122, 138, 240, 254, 268, 296, 312, 328, 344, 364, 394, 422, 454, 470, 502, 518, 534, 550, and 582
One column of sixteen lines, ruled in brown ink; written area: 104 x 67 mm
Gothic--textualis
Fourteen large miniatures; thirty-four small miniatures; calendar vignettes with Signs of the Zodiac and Labors of the Month; twenty-eight historiated and inhabited initials; full foliate borders on pages with miniatures; single-side foliate borders on most remaining pages; illuminated initials and line-fillers throughout
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
Grey silk pastedowns pasted onto first and last flyleaves
Calendar, some prayers, and some rubrics in French
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Paris, France
Between 1405 and 1410
Nineteenth-century red velvet; gold-tooled red leather slipcase with "HORAE, EARLY 15th CENTURY" inscribed on spine
Latin; Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)
Frédéric Spitzer, Paris (his sale, Paris, 17 April 1893, num. 3005); Philip S. Collins; gift of Mary Schell Collins in memory of her husband, 1945
Paris, France
Between 1405 and 1410
Latin; Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)
Frédéric Spitzer, Paris
This Book of Hours for the Use of Paris, typical of luxury manuscripts created at the beginning of the fifteenth century, is richly illuminated with fourteen large miniatures and thirty-four small miniatures, as well as calendar vignettes and twenty-eight historiated and inhabited initials. The book begins with a calendar (pp. 1-24), in French, followed by Gospel Lessons (pp. 25-39), illustrated with miniatures of the Evangelists, and the Passion according to Saint John and to Saint Matthew (pp. 41-74, beginning and miniature for both sections lacking). The Hours of the Virgin (pp. 77-192) was planned with an extra page tipped-in to accommodate a large miniature (pp. 75-76), but this was never completed; the remaining miniatures from the Hours of the Virgin are intact. The Hours of the Cross (pp. 193-202), introduced by a miniature of the Crucifixion, is followed by the Hours of the Holy Spirit (pp. 203-210, miniature lacking). The Penitential Psalms, Litany, and Prayers (pp. 213-252) are introduced by a miniature of King David in Prayer. The Fifteen Joys of the Virgin and the Seven Requests to Our Lord follow (pp. 253-264), though each has lost its initial miniature. The Office of the Dead (pp. 265-347) begins with a miniature showing a Funeral Scene. The suffrages (pp. 349-426) are richly illustrated with small miniatures, beginning with The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Faithful, and include unusual saints such as Roman and Audoen (?), Nicasius and his companions, Leobinus, Giles, Erkenwald, Susanna, Avia and Austrebertha. The presence of Saint Erkenwald may indicate that the book was made for an English patron resident in Paris during the occupation. The suffrages are followed by a prayer to the Virgin in French (pp. 427-438). The book's most distinguishing feature are its set of twenty-four readings for Masses (pp. 439-566), each introduced by an inhabited or historiated initial. A portrait of the book's unidentified female owner, dressed in red, is included on p. 566. The "Salve regina" prayer, introduced by an inhabited initial of the Virgin and Child, is followed by prayers for the Elevation of the Host and Salutations (pp. 567-575). Another section of Marian and other prayers is introduced by an historiated initial showing the Virgin Mary weaving (pp. 576-582). The book is concluded by the Obsecro te and O intemerata (pp. 583-595), introduced by another inhabited initial of the Virgin and Child. Millard Meiss attributed the miniatures with diapered backgrounds in the Hours of the Virgin and the Crucifixion to the Circle of Jacquemart de Hesdin, and the more painterly miniatures found in the calendar (except for the retouched July), the four Evangelists, and everything after David at Prayer in the Penitential Psalms to the Atelier of the Bedford Master. The miniatures on pages 13, 171, 351, 378, and 424 have been retouched, perhaps while the volume was in the possession of Frédéric Spitzer. No earlier provenance for the manuscript is known.
Grey silk pastedowns pasted onto first and last flyleaves
Calendar, some prayers, and some rubrics in French
Gothic--textualis
Fourteen large miniatures; thirty-four small miniatures; calendar vignettes with Signs of the Zodiac and Labors of the Month; twenty-eight historiated and inhabited initials; full foliate borders on pages with miniatures; single-side foliate borders on most remaining pages; illuminated initials and line-fillers throughout
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
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