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BOOK OF HOURS, use of Paris, in Latin and French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
BOOK OF HOURS, use of Paris, in Latin and French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Paris, c.1460]138 x 98mm. 305 leaves: 1 1 3 (of 12 + i, relocated ruled blank), 2-4 8 , 5 6 , 6-15 8 , 16 2 (probably of 4, iii and iv cancelled blanks), 17-38 8 , 39 4 , COMPLETE, a few catchwords in the lower margins of final versos, some modern signatures, modern pencilled foliation followed here begins after first relocated leaf, 14 lines written in black ink in a gothic bookhand between two verticals and 15 horizontals ruled in pink, justification: 69 x 45mm, rubrics in red, text capitals touched with yellow, one-line initials and line-endings in burnished gold on grounds of pink and blue patterned with white, two- to four-line initials with staves of blue or pink patterned in white with foliate or flower infills on grounds of burnished gold, accompanied in the outer side margins of versos and the inner and outer side margins of rectos by borders of hairline tendrils linking burnished gold leaves between acanthus leaves and stems of flowers or fruit in shell gold, blue, red, pink and green, one similar five-line initial with similar border to three sides, EIGHTEEN ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES in burnished gold frames above similar three-line initials, surrounded by bars of burnished gold, most decorated with flowers or foliate designs, and full borders of blue and gold acanthus and sprays of flowers and fruit interspersed with gold disks (many faces retouched and some flesh areas redefined, a few borders lightly rubbed, slight wear to some margins, opening leaf of calendar rubbed, water damage to a few lines of text on four pages). 19th-century French red morocco gilt in Renaissance strapwork style, turn-ins gilt, signed by Hardy relieur and Marius-Michel-doreur . Red morocco box. PROVENANCE: 1. The book was made for the lady kneeling before the Virgin and Child in the miniature on f.20. She lived in Paris from the appearance and liturgical content of her book: the very individual choice of suffrages includes the very rare De sainctes reliques du palais , ff.269v-271v, listing the crown of thorns and other relics treasured in the Sainte Chapelle of the royal palace in Paris, home to the Parlement de Paris and the royal financial adminstration. The owner may have belonged to a family that acquired wealth and status through the law or royal service, since she wears the black hood appropriate to a non-noble woman. Her name was possibly Julienne since, most unusually in a Parisian calendar, St Juliana is entered in gold on 16 February. 2. 'Genevieve .... place mautbert pres le pave', partly erased inscription, f.303v 3. Comte de Fresne, his sale, Porquet, Paris, 13 March 1893, lot 22 4. Sotheby's, 6 May 1909, lot 41, the property of an English gentleman recently deceased who lived abroad, a notable collection of illuminated manuscripts from which Huntington's collecting contemporaries Walters, Richardson and Lewis also benefitted; to Robson for £139. 5. HSA, B1146 CONTENT: Parisian calendar, with St Genevieve, 3 January and 26 November, and St Merri, 29 August, in gold, ff.1-12; Gospel extracts, ff.13-19v: John with suffrage f.13, Luke f.15, Matthew f.17, Mark f.18v; Obsecro te , with inconsistent masculine and feminine endings, ff.19-23v; O intemerata in the feminine, ff.23v-29; Passion according to John, ff.29v-41v; ruled blank f.42; Office of the Virgin, use of Paris, ff.43-122v: matins f.43, lauds f.72, prime f.86, terce f.93, sext f.99, none f.104v, vespers f.110, compline f.118v; Penitential Psalms, ff.125-139v; litany, including Merri and Marcel among the confessors and Genevieve among the virgins, ff.140-146v; Hours of the Cross, ff.147-156; Hours of the Holy Spirit, ff.156v-164v; Office of the Dead, use of Paris, ff.165-220v; Quinze joyes , ff.221-227v; Sept requestes , ff.228-231v; Suffrages to the Trinity, Sts Michael, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, Andrew, Christopher (in feminine, ff.234v-236), Sebastian, Martin, Nichola