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176 x 128 mm. (7 x 5"). Single column, 23 lines in a neat batārde hand. i (blank), 101, ii (blank) leaves. Lacking one leaf after f. 87 (possibly containing a miniature), otherwise complete. Contents: Calendar (f. 1r); Gospel Lessons (f. 7r); Passion according to John (f. 10v); Hours of the Virgin (f. 15v); Penitential Psalms and Litany (f. 45r); Office of the Dead (f. 54v); Hours of the Cross (f. 68v); Hours of the Holy Spirit (f. 70v); Prayers to the Trinity, St. Veronica, "Obsecro Te," "O Intemerata," and "Stabat Mater" (f. 72v); Suffrages (f. 79r); Prayers in French to be said on various occasions (f. 86v); verse prayer in French beginning "Royne des cieulx glorieuse" (f. 90r); additional prayers in French and Latin (f. 93v). Attractive 19th century vellum with lacy gilt border, raised bands ruled in gilt, gilt lettering, tan silk endleaves, all edges gilt. Housed in a felt-lined reddish-brown pebbled morocco clamshell box with gilt lettering on spine. Rubrics in red, numerous one- and two-line initials in painted gold on burgundy or blue ground, WITH 27 SMALL MINIATURES (one miniature of Christ Carrying the Cross measuring 60 x 68 mm., the rest depicting saints and measuring between eight and nine lines), each surrounded by a full border of acanthus, flowers, and small dots on bare or painted vellum, and 14 LARGE MINIATURES, EACH OPENING WITH A FULL BORDER, either with acanthus and flowers (as before), or architectural, some borders embellished with figures, animals, or hybrids, two with a small scene in the lower margin, and about a dozen with the added coats of arms and/or mottos of Jean Boutin. The subjects of the large miniatures include the following: St. John of Patmos (f. 7r); Annunciation (f. 15v); Visitation (f. 23r); Nativity (f. 27v); Annunciation to the Shepherds (f. 29v); Adoration of the Magi (f. 31v); Presentation in the Temple (f. 33v); Flight into Egypt (f. 35v); Death of the Virgin (f. 38v); Bathsheba bathing (f. 45r); Funeral Mass (f. 54v); Crucifixion (f. 68v); Pentecost (f .70v); Trinity (f. 72v). See: Fairfax-Murray "French," p. 265-266. Vellum binding soiled but perfectly sound. Small portions of some border figures and perhaps three or four(?) miniatures touched up in the 16th(?) century (see below), occasional chipping to white paint, small hole in the border of ff. 11 & 29, light scattered spotting, fading, thumb soiling, and other minor issues, but an attractive and substantially complete manuscript, the illumination extensive and mostly well preserved. This heavily illustrated Book of Hours is a lovely example of provincial illumination; it calls attention in an interesting way to the influence of printed books on manuscript art; and it contains intriguing traces of an early prominent owner. Our manuscript contains a total of 41 large and small miniatures by a skilled artist who clearly had some training and familiarity with the prevailing styles of the time. The overall appearance of the work suggests the artist or workshop was located in Northern France, and although the figures and backgrounds are indicative of a provincial hand, the rich colors, profuse use of liquid gold, and sumptuous borders are unmistakable marks of luxury. The image of the Trinity is particularly lovely, demanding the viewer's attention with God the Father's piercing gaze, and conveying the majesty of the subject with a patterned throne set against a starry sky. Of special interest here are the compositions of the large miniatures, many of which seem to have been copied from printed Books of Hours of the period. When we talk about the transition from manuscripts to print culture in the late-15th and 16th centuries, the discussion often focuses on how the art of manuscripts influenced the appearance of printed works. There is no better example than Books of Hours, which, in printed editions, often mimic the look of their manuscript predecessors in appearance and the way many were finished by hand. However, as the presen.
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