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This manuscript is a Book of Hours was made for the use of Rennes in 1405 and features a dense iconographic cycle of forty-six half-page miniatures. The inclusion of several Breton saints in the calendar indicate a Breton usage, for example Saint Iouin (2 March), Saint Aubin (1 March), and Saint Yves (19 May). In addition to the French calendar, complete with small vignettes of the zodiac and the labors of the month, this manuscript contains the Gospel Sequences (fols. 13r-18v), each beginning with an Evangelist miniature, followed by the Prayers to the Virgin, the "Obsecro te" (fols. 19r-23r), complete with a miniature of the Virgin and Child, the "O intemerata" (fols. 23r-25v), and the "Salve regina" (fols. 25v-26r). The Hours of the Virgin (fols. 25r-75v) begins with a miniature of the Annunciation, followed by miniatures of the Visitation (fol. 37v), the Annunciation to the Shepherds (fol. 48r), the Nativity (fol. 53r), the Presentation in the Temple (fol. 61r), the Flight Into Egypt (fol. 64v), and the Coronation of the Virgin (fol. 71r) for each of the Hours. The Hours are succeeded by the Penitential Psalms (fols. 76r-87v), which begins with a miniature of King David (fol. 76r), and are followed by the Litany (fols. 87v-90r), Petitions (fols. 90v-95r), and extracts from John's version of the Passion story (fols. 95r-106r). The Hours of the Cross (fols. 107r-117r) begins with a miniature of the Betrayal of Christ (fol. 107r), followed by miniatures of Christ Before Pilate (fol. 108v), Christ Carrying the Cross (fol. 110r), the Soldier Giving Wine to Christ (fol. 111v), the Lance Piercing the Side of Christ (fol. 113r), the Deposition (114v), and the Burial of Christ (fol. 116r) for each of the Hours. The Hours of the Cross are followed by the Hours of the Holy Spirit (fols. 117r-126v), also with prefatory miniatures for each of the Hours, including the Trinity (fol. 117v), the Baptism of Christ (fol. 119r), the Transfiguration (fol. 120v), Saint Peter Inspired (fol. 122r), Saint Augustine Reading with a Disciple (fol. 123v), Pentecost (fol. 124v), and the Resurrection (fol. 125v). A miniature of the Madonna and Child begins The Joys of the Virgin, written in French (fols. 127r-132r), succeeded by the Seven Requests to Our Lord (fols. 132v-135r), also in French, with a prefatory miniature of Christ in Majesty (fol. 132v). The Sarum use for the Office of the Dead (fols. 135v-179v) was practiced in Lisieux, among other places in Brittany. In the present manuscript, this section features a miniature of a funeral scene (fol. 135v). The Suffrages are particularly elaborate, featuring fourteen miniatures of various saints: the Man of Sorrows (fol. 180v), Saint Michael (fol. 181v), Saint John the Baptist (fol. 182v), John the Evangelist (fol. 183v), Saint Peter and Saint Paul (fol. 184v), Saint James (fol. 185v), Saint Sebastian (fol. 186v), Saint George (fol. 188r), Saint Christopher (fol. 189r), Saint Julian (fol. 190r), Saint Yves (fol. 191r), Mary Magdalene (fol. 192r), Saint Catherine, (fol. 193r), Saint Margaret (fol. 194r), and the Torture of Saint Apollonia (fol. 195r). The Suffrages are followed by four Masses, the Mass of the Trinity, the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the Mass of Our Lady, and the Mass of Angels (fols. 197r-206v). According to Millard Meiss, the Luçon Master painted the large miniatures throughout the manuscript while a follower of the Egerton Master painted the small vignettes in the calendar. The calendar pages are also decorated with sunbursts inscribed with the initials "K.S.," also found in in the foliate frames surrounding some miniatures, which were thought by Edward Quaile to refer to King Charles VI of France. This Book of Hours features ornate illuminated foliate borders and initials throughout and a large coat of arms on fol. 26v belonging to Jean III, seigneur of Acigné and of Cordemai. Smaller coats-of-arms are also present on folios 106v and 123r. On its final folio, this manuscript features a scribal colophon with the name Johannes Parvi, a scribe from Brittany who is known from colophons in other manuscripts (fol. 206v). Valérie Biquet has recently been demonstrated that this manuscript served as a prototype for a nearly identical Book of Hours now in Bourges (Musée du Berry, 1924.4.1).
Support: Parchment; Extent: i+206+i; 205 x 140 mm bound to 210 x 150 mm; Foliation: Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto, on folios 13-206; Collation: 1 (12), 2 (8), 3 (4), 4 (10), 5-12 (8), 13 (6), 14 (10), 15-16 (8), 17 (4), 18-24 (8), 25 (6), 26 (8), 27 (2); Catchwords: Horizontal catchwords in ink, lower middle verso at fols. 20v, 24v, 43v, 42v, 50v, 58v, 66v, 74v, 82v, 90v, 98v, 104v, 114v, 122v, 130v, 134v, 142v, 150v, 158v, 166v, 174v, 182v, 190v, 196v, 204v
One column of fifteen lines, frame-ruled in red ink; written area: 104 x 65 mm
Gothic--textualis semi-quadrara
Twenty-four calendar vignettes (fols. 1r-12r), borders on calendar pages containing suns and golden rays; one full-page coat of arms (fol. 26v) and two smaller coats-of-arms (fols. 106v and 123r); forty-six half-page miniatures with elaborate full foliate borders; illuminated initials, line fillers, and foliate borders with grotesque beasts 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.
Paris, France
Fol. 26v contains the arms of Jean III, seigneur of Acigné and of Cordemai (c. 1430-1497), son of Jean II, seigneur of Acigné and of Fontenay (1409-1462), and of Catherine de Malestroit de Chateaugiron (d. 13 November 1434); the letters K and S (Calendar, Suffrages, and possibly insignia on covers) may refer to King Charles VI of France; circa 1405
Worn black leather with gold tooling, stamped with insignia, including the repeated letter "s" within two intertwined Greek lambdas, red painted insignia on back cover; 16th century; rebacked with red morocco, spine stamped with gold and labeled "Missale Romanum MSS," 19th century
Latin; Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)
Jean III, of Acigné and of Cordemai (circa 1430-1497); Sir John Peachey, Baron Selsey of Westdean, Sussex, England, c. 1782 (bookplate pasted onto front cover); Lord Selsey (Henry John Peachey?, 1787-1838); probably Anna Maria Louisa Peachey (died 1870), 1838; sale, Sotheby's, London, June 20, 1872, lot 1302; Bernard Quaritch (bookseller), London; Edward Quaile of Lynmore, Palm Grove, Birkenhead, late 19th century; his sale, Sotheby's, London, May 10-11, 1901, lot 71; D. Robson (bookseller), London; George C. Thomas, Philadelphia; Ada E. Moorhead Thomas, 1909; P. A.B. Widener, Philadelphia, 23 November 1910 (through A.S.W. Rosenbach); Joseph E. Widener, Philadelphia, 1915; given by his children, Josephine Widener Wichfeld and Peter A.B. Widener, to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1944, in memory of their father
Paris, France
Fol. 26v contains the arms of Jean III, seigneur of Acigné and of Cordemai (c. 1430-1497), son of Jean II, seigneur of Acigné and of Fontenay (1409-1462), and of Catherine de Malestroit de Chateaugiron (d. 13 November 1434); the letters K and S (Calendar, Suffrages, and possibly insignia on covers) may refer to King Charles VI of France; circa 1405
Latin; Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)
Jean III, of Acigné and of Cordemai
This manuscript is a Book of Hours was made for the use of Rennes in 1405 and features a dense iconographic cycle of forty-six half-page miniatures. The inclusion of several Breton saints in the calendar indicate a Breton usage, for example Saint Iouin (2 March), Saint Aubin (1 March), and Saint Yves (19 May). In addition to the French calendar, complete with small vignettes of the zodiac and the labors of the month, this manuscript contains the Gospel Sequences (fols. 13r-18v), each beginning with an Evangelist miniature, followed by the Prayers to the Virgin, the "Obsecro te" (fols. 19r-23r), complete with a miniature of the Virgin and Child, the "O intemerata" (fols. 23r-25v), and the "Salve regina" (fols. 25v-26r). The Hours of the Virgin (fols. 25r-75v) begins with a miniature of the Annunciation, followed by miniatures of the Visitation (fol. 37v), the Annunciation to the Shepherds (fol. 48r), the Nativity (fol. 53r), the Presentation in the Temple (fol. 61r), the Flight Into Egypt (fol. 64v), and the Coronation of the Virgin (fol. 71r) for each of the Hours. The Hours are succeeded by the Penitential Psalms (fols. 76r-87v), which begins with a miniature of King David (fol. 76r), and are followed by the Litany (fols. 87v-90r), Petitions (fols. 90v-95r), and extracts from John's version of the Passion story (fols. 95r-106r). The Hours of the Cross (fols. 107r-117r) begins with a miniature of the Betrayal of Christ (fol. 107r), followed by miniatures of Christ Before Pilate (fol. 108v), Christ Carrying the Cross (fol. 110r), the Soldier Giving Wine to Christ (fol. 111v), the Lance Piercing the Side of Christ (fol. 113r), the Deposition (114v), and the Burial of Christ (fol. 116r) for each of the Hours. The Hours of the Cross are followed by the Hours of the Holy Spirit (fols. 117r-126v), also with prefatory miniatures for each of the Hours, including the Trinity (fol. 117v), the Baptism of Christ (fol. 119r), the Transfiguration (fol. 120v), Saint Peter Inspired (fol. 122r), Saint Augustine Reading with a Disciple (fol. 123v), Pentecost (fol. 124v), and the Resurrection (fol. 125v). A miniature of the Madonna and Child begins The Joys of the Virgin, written in French (fols. 127r-132r), succeeded by the Seven Requests to Our Lord (fols. 132v-135r), also in French, with a prefatory miniature of Christ in Majesty (fol. 132v). The Sarum use for the Office of the Dead (fols. 135v-179v) was practiced in Lisieux, among other places in Brittany. In the present manuscript, this section features a miniature of a funeral scene (fol. 135v). The Suffrages are particularly elaborate, featuring fourteen miniatures of various saints: the Man of Sorrows (fol. 180v), Saint Michael (fol. 181v), Saint John the Baptist (fol. 182v), John the Evangelist (fol. 183v), Saint Peter and Saint Paul (fol. 184v), Saint James (fol. 185v), Saint Sebastian (fol. 186v), Saint George (fol. 188r), Saint Christopher (fol. 189r), Saint Julian (fol. 190r), Saint Yves (fol. 191r), Mary Magdalene (fol. 192r), Saint Catherine, (fol. 193r), Saint Margaret (fol. 194r), and the Torture of Saint Apollonia (fol. 195r). The Suffrages are followed by four Masses, the Mass of the Trinity, the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the Mass of Our Lady, and the Mass of Angels (fols. 197r-206v). According to Millard Meiss, the Luçon Master painted the large miniatures throughout the manuscript while a follower of the Egerton Master painted the small vignettes in the calendar. The calendar pages are also decorated with sunbursts inscribed with the initials "K.S.," also found in in the foliate frames surrounding some miniatures, which were thought by Edward Quaile to refer to King Charles VI of France. This Book of Hours features ornate illuminated foliate borders and initials throughout and a large coat of arms on fol. 26v belonging to Jean III, seigneur of Acigné and of Cordemai. Smaller coats-of-arms are also present on folios 106v and 123r. On its final folio, this manuscript features a scribal colophon with the name Johannes Parvi, a scribe from Brittany who is known from colophons in other manuscripts (fol. 206v). Valérie Biquet has recently been demonstrated that this manuscript served as a prototype for a nearly identical Book of Hours now in Bourges (Musée du Berry, 1924.4.1).
Gothic--textualis semi-quadrara
Twenty-four calendar vignettes (fols. 1r-12r), borders on calendar pages containing suns and golden rays; one full-page coat of arms (fol. 26v) and two smaller coats-of-arms (fols. 106v and 123r); forty-six half-page miniatures with elaborate full foliate borders; illuminated initials, line fillers, and foliate borders with grotesque beasts 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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