Beschreibung:

HORAE, use of Paris, in Latin and French, with full-page ILLUMINATED MINIATURES IN MANUSCRIPT. [Paris]: Jean de Coulonces, [almanac for 1502-1514]. PRINTED ON VELLUM. 8° (154 x 103mm). Collation: A-I 8, L-R 8, T 3-4 (lacking F3, G3, I3, M2, M4-6, N2, R7, T1-2, T5-end). A1r title with metalcut Coulonces device, A1v almanac in French for 1502-14, A1v-7v Calendar, A8r-v Seven orations to St Gregory, B1r-3v Gospel sequence, B4r-C2r Passion according to St John, C2v-G5r Hours of the Virgin, G5v-I2v Seven Penitential Psalms, I4r-N1v Office of the Dead (lacking opening), N3r-R1r Suffrages (lacking opening), orations and prayers, including Obsecro te and O Intemerata , R1r Office of the Virgin of Mercy, T4v Seven verses of St Bernard (lacking end). Printed in red and black. 129 leaves. 22 lines. Gothic type. NINE LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES WITH FULL-PAGE PAINTED BORDERS, the borders of blue and gold acanthus and sprays of naturalistic flowers and fruit on divided grounds, similar full-page border accompanying the large Coulonces device, one- and two-line initials of burnished gold on grounds of blue or red, three-line initials of blue with white decoration on burnished gold grounds with floral infills, similar line-endings (incomplete, some rubbing or pigment loss to miniatures and borders, small hole to Visitation miniature, miniatures slightly cropped). 19th-century blind-stamped calf gilt (worn, upper cover detached, boards partially covered with paper). ILLUMINATION: This Horae is a rare example of a printed Book of Hours completed with entirely manuscript illumination. Printed books of hours, particularly those on vellum, were more commonly decorated with the artist painting over wood- or metalcuts. In the present Hours, spaces have been left blank to be filled with the original work of an illuminator. The style of the miniatures is consistent with manuscript illuminations produced contemporaneously in Paris. The subjects of the miniatures are as follows: Agony in the Garden (B4), Annunciation (C2v), Visitation (D7v), Nativity (E5v), Adoration of the Shepherds (F1r), Presentation in the Temple (F6r), Flight into Egypt (F8v), David Praying (G7v), Crucifixion (T4r). UNRECORDED EDITION: the only Horae printed by Jean Coulonces recorded in the standard bibliographies are those for use of Chartres, and Bourges (see Lacombe 94, 136 bis, 139 bis). Not in Lacombe, Bohatta or Renouard.