Illuminated manuscript from a book of hours on vellum
Leaf from a book of hours, Northern France, around 1430
Gothic textura in brown and red ink, in Latin
One column, 17 lines, Gothic textura
Three large gilt-heightened decorative initials in blue and mauve
With six smaller ornament and penwork initials on rear, of which three gilt-heightened
Dimensions of leaf: 15 x 11.5 cm, text area: 9.5 x 8 cm
Very good and fresh condition without blemishes
Colors in excellent condition
Provenance: Collection, Münster
Northern France leaf from a book of hours, its colors are in excellent condition – what is especially worthwhile mentioning are the three large gilt-heightened decorative initials in blua and mauve

This illuminated vellum leaf from a book of hours was made in Northern France around 1430. The Latin manuscript in one column with 17 lines was executed in Gothic textura in brown and red ink. What is especially worthwhile mentioning are the three large gilt-heightened decorative initials in blue and mauve.

Condition

The vellum leaf is in very good and fresh condition without blemishes; the colors ar in excellent condition. Dimensions of leaf: 15 x 11.5 cm, text area: 9.5 x 8 cm.

The Book of Hours

A Book of Hours, also Horarium or Horae, is a prayer and devotional book for the liturgy of the hours. Structurally, it resembles the breviary of the Roman Catholic Church, however, it was mainly intended for the use by laymen. Books of Hours were originally created in the 13th century and replaced the Psaltery which had previously been used as prayer books. They saw their heyday in the 14th/15th century and were widely used by the wealthy, literate nobility in Europe and were considered - depending on the purse of its owner - an important status symbol, and the splendor of their endowment therefore differed. Today some of the specimens made by Parisian masters are among the most magnificent manuscripts. With the emergence of the letterpress in the second half of the 15th century of the luxurious books did not disappear as status symbol, but they changed.

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