ILLUMINATED BOOK OF HOURS, use of Utrecht
Manuscript Book of Hours on vellum in Latin, with occasional Dutch, 182 leaves, Gothic script on 18 lines, black, blue, red ink, with liquid gold details, numerous 4/5 line historiated initials throughout and smaller 2 line initials in liquid gold and colour ink, flourished initials, rubrics and line-fillers in coloured ink and gold, sixteenth century blind-stamped calf binding by Pauwels van Vardeh with foliate, floral and animal motifs, spine in six compartments with raised bands, extensive wear to covers, rubbing to head and foot of spine and corners, rebacked, hinges starting, tear at head of spine, edges gilt and gauffered, broken fore-edge clasps, 9 fore-edge markers, 8vo (160 x 120 mm.), [Netherlands, fifteenth century]
Footnotes:
A CHARMIG LOW COUNTRIES BOOK OF HOURS WITH SOME 40 MINIATURES

The presence of red letter days for the feast of St Martin of Tours on the 10 November (day of his martyrdom) and the mention of the translation of his relics on the 4 July and the presence in red of the feast of St Nicholas (as a reference to Sinterklass) on the 7 December could point to the use of Utrecht, especially since the manuscript was indeed produced in the Netherlands as testified not only by the style of the illuminations, but also by the presence of small portions of text in Dutch (e.g. on f. 131r at the start of a section containing Psalms). However, it must also be noted that on f. 89r at the start of the Hours of the Virgin the red rubricated text reads: 'Incipit hore semper candidissime marie virginis secundum usum romane curie'.

TEXT: ff. 1-12v Calendar; 13-35v Psalms, starting with Psalm 51; 36-43v Hours of the Cross; 46-48v Hours of the Virgin; 49-54r Mass of the Virgin; 54v-58r Lessons from the Gospels; 58v-88v Suffrage of the Saints; 89- 130v Hours of the Virgin (omitting Matins); 131-141v: Psalms, starting with Psalm 70; 142-149v Seven Penitential Palms; 150-157v Litany etc; 158-176v Office of the Dead; 177-179v Prayers to Saint Cornelius.

ILLUMINATIONS: 12 initials (KL) in liquid gold, red and blue colour at the beginning of each month of the calendar; 7 full border decoration with scrolls, leaves, fruit, flowers, birds, butterflies, insects and snails, all with inhabited initials; 18 historiated initials measuring 30x30mm. depicting for e.g. different Saints, narrative scenes such as the Crucifixion, the Flight to Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents; 23 small illuminations measuring 40x40mm. depicting Saints and Martyrs (including St Lawrence, St Peter and St Paul, St Catherine, Mary Magdalene, St Andrew, St Anne, St Erasmus..).

Provenance: Three later inscriptions in three distinct hands: 1) on front pastedown in 16th century hand ('Ghebonden by my Pauwels van Vardeh... 15[2/3]8'); 2) on first fly-leaf in 16th century hand ('Broeder Lambbreius Wittync/ Burssier van Sint Janshuis/ Overleet den xxiien daich/ Van octobre int jaer duusent/ Vijfhondert ende zevendertich', i.e. 'Brother Lambreius Wittinc, scholar at Sint-Janshuis [university in Leuven, Belgium] died on 22 October 1570'); 3) salvation message on last fly-leaf in 15th century (?) hand ('Die pays van onsen verbeerdeghen / behouder Ihesus Cristus die cracht van zijnder helegher passien / teeke-nen van sijnen helighen Crist die/ zuverheyt vande reyne maghet/ Maria die benedickt ende verdiente/ van allen helighen die bewarenesse/ van allen manhelen die bede ende/ weldaet van allen den ghenen die/ God huutuerchoren heeft die moest / zyn tusschen mij ende mynen vr-ienden zienlick endt onsecht nu ende/ in dit huere van mijnder doot/ Amen').
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