Beschreibung:

BOOK OF HOURS, use of Meaux, in Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Meaux, final quarter 15th century].
BOOK OF HOURS, use of Meaux, in Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Meaux, final quarter 15th century]. 162 x 115mm. 140 leaves, ruled space: 93 x 59mm, rubrics in red, illuminated initials throughout, FIVE THREE-SIDED BORDERS WITH LARGE ILLUMINATED INITIALS (lacking text leaves including the opening of the Gospel Extracts, the beginning of matins and terce, the end of prime and compline and likely miniatures before ff.31, 71 and 87, leaf torn out before f.84). 16th-century French gilt-tooled binding (some cracking, spine restored). PROVENANCE : (1) The Obsecro te is in the feminine, and it is possible that the original manuscript was made for the ‘Binette Villette’ on f.140. The use is of Meaux – a commune north-east of Paris. The early binding carries the name ‘LEBER’ stamped on the lower cover. (2) Several 18th- and 19th-century pentrials, added prayers and notes throughout, including a prayer to guard against contagion, in French. (3) GALIGNANI , either John Anthony or William, of the famous Parisian librairie : an autograph contemporary report on the sale of the Saint-Lô Missal at Drouot, dated June 1841. (4) JAMES SLEVIN , native of Ireland and resident of Philadelphia (d. New York City c.1880): his inscription. (5) Gift of JOSEPH W. DREXEL , 1889, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. CONTENT : Calendar ff. 3-12v; Gospel extracts ff.13-18v; Obsecro te and o intemerata , in the feminine, ff.18v-30; Hours of the Virgin, use of Meaux, ff.31-70v, Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.71-79; Hours of the Cross ff.79-83v; Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.84-86, Office of the Dead ff.87-117v; 15 Joys of the Virgin and 7 Requests to Our Lord ff.118-125v; prayers ff.126-140. The floral borders with illuminated initials are on ff.42, 54v, 62v, 66v and 70v.