Item Details

ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAVES FROM A VERY DECORATIVE BOOK OF HOURS IN LATIN.

(1420). 203 x 143 mm (8 x 5 5/8"). Single column, 15 lines of text in an attractive gothic book style.

The leaves with a variable number of finely illuminated one- and two-line initials in blue or magenta with white tracery and containing one or more twining flowers in blue, orange, and white, the whole on a burnished gold ground, usually as many line fillers (of the same design) as initials, the text always enclosed on three sides by a bar border of blue and gold, with acanthus leaf extensions at the bottom, and EACH SIDE OF EACH LEAF WITH A VERY INTRICATE FULL BORDER OF RINCEAUX, consisting of many floral buds, gold bezants, and ivy leaves. A small number of leaves trimmed a little close at one edge (with the most trivial loss of decoration), a hint of yellowing at edges, but generally in excellent condition, THE ILLUMINATION ESPECIALLY AND CONSISTENTLY BRIGHT AND FRESH.

These are Parisian Book of Hours leaves from what was obviously a splendid manuscript. The substantial size of the leaves, the glistening gold, and the intricacy of the decoration of the border and the illuminated letters combine here to make a very positive impression. (Another leaf from this same manuscript, but with a later miniature pasted in, appears as item #376, above.) (ST11052b-2d)