Heading: (Illuminated Manuscript)
Author:
Title: The Churching of Women
Place Published: No place
Publisher:
Date Published: Late 19th or early 20th century
Description:

[12] pages, on both sides of 6 vellum leaves. Leaf size 11.5x9 cm (4½x3½"), period white felt binding with embroidered cross on front, decorative stitched edging, button and loop closure with stitched flourishes.

Title leaf illuminated in red, blue, green, and gilt with a small illustration of a pair of nesting doves beneath the title, the text in 10 or 11 lines per page in a handsome calligraphic script with five large initial letters in gilt or red, smaller initial letters in red throughout text, illuminated borders on three pages, others with decorative ink flourishes along the left edge of text. A quite attractive manuscript. In Christian tradition the Churching of Women is the ceremony wherein a blessing is given to mothers after recovery from childbirth. The ceremony includes thanksgiving for the woman's survival of childbirth, and is performed even when the child is stillborn, or has died unbaptized.

Binding with some soiling and light wear; rippling to vellum, yellowing to first and final leaves; very good.