Beschreibung:

BOOK OF HOURS, use of Rome, in Latin, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Tours, workshop of Jean Bourdichon ca. 1490] 175 x 121 mm., 170 leaves including a final blank, COMPLETE, collation: 1-2 6 , 3-17 8 [lacking cancelled blank 6/1, inserted leaf after 14/4], 18 6 , 19-21 8 , 22-23 4 , vertical catchwords, 17 lines ruled in purple, justification 120 x 69 mm., written in brown and black ink in gothic textura, rubrics in red, capitals touched in yellow, versals and two-line initials in gold on blue or red ground with gold tracery and floral decoration, 12 SMALL MINIATURES each with outer floral panel border, and 23 LARGE MINIATURES, within three-quarter borders of acanthus leaves, flowers and fruit containing also peacocks and other birds and strange animals. 18th-century calf, (worn, rebacked), edges gilt. PROVENANCE: The calendar is sparse and does not point to any particular location. Below the miniature of David and Bathsheba is an armorial shield: gules an eagle displayed argent, within a bordure embattled argent, impaling gules a lion rampant or. This may have been painted in during the 16th century. 19th-century signature of Thomley Yardley inside upper cover. TEXT: f.1-12 Calendar; f.13 Gospel Sequences; f.18 Passion according to St. John; f.30 15 Prayers to the Lord; f.37 blank; f.38 Hours of the Virgin, Matins; f.52 Lauds; f.61 Prime; f.64 Terce; f.66v Sext; f.69 None; f.71v Vespers; f.76 Compline; f.79 Missus est angelus gabriel and other prayers; f.84 Penitential Psalms; f.100 Office of the Dead; f.126v Hours of the Cross; f.129 Hours of the Holy Ghost; f.131v Hours of the Holy Trinity; f.139v Prayer to the Lord; f.142v Obsecro te and O intemerata, and other prayers to the Virgin; f.150v Seven Joys of the Virgin; f.155 Suffrages, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, Saints James, Sebastian, Anthony, Stephen, George, Nicolas, Mary Magdalen, Catherine, Suzanna, Mary of Egypt, Barbara; f.165v Prayers when entering a church. DECORATION: The artist of this manuscript was clearly a close follower of Jean Bourdichon and it is typical of his workshop at Tours in about 1490. He has many similarities with the artist of a manuscript in the Pierpont Morgan Library M.291, cf. Plummer, Last Flowering no. 109 and possibly 108. In the latter, where Bourdichon was working on a more moderate commission 'these paintings reveal both the difficulty in distinguishing the hand of the master from those of his closest followers and the imitable nature of his style'. Another, lesser, artist seems to have been responsible for two miniatures; they are: David and Bathsheba and the Young Nobleman before the Office of the Dead. An inserted miniature of a funeral service may be Flemish and seems unrelated to this manuscript. THE SUBJECTS OF THE 23 LARGE MINIATURES ARE: folio 13. St. John on Patmos, writing, in the background a castle and a town folio 18. The Betrayal. In the foreground Malchus and Simon Peter putting his sword into the sheath folio 30. The Descent from the Cross. Nicodemus and Joseph wrapping the body of Christ in linen folio 38. The Annunciation. The border is made up from fleur-de-lis within lozenges, surrounded by violets and marguerites folio 52. The Visitation. A city in the background folio 61. Nativity folio 64. Annunciation to the Shepherds. The three shepherds' cloaks reflect the gold from the angel above folio 66v. Adoration of the Magi folio 69. The Presentation in the Temple folio 71v. The Flight into Egypt folio 76. Coronation of the Virgin. Three angels placing the crown on the Virgin's head folio 84. David and Bathsheba. She has long, golden hair and is sitting at the edge of the water. David at the side, a palace behind. Owner's armorial shield in lower border folio 100. A young nobleman (the original patron? surrounded by death carrying a coffin and the mouth of Hell, medallions of St. Paul and a female royal saint above folio 104v. A funeral service. Inserted full-page miniature, verso blank, depicting the