Livre d’heures, illuminated manuscript on vellum, France, XV century.

Description

DESCRIZIONE
Small quarto (main body, approx. 18 x 15 cm), manuscript on vellum , 115 leaves, blind-stamped brown calf over wood, traces of metal clasp (coeval binding); (12) ff. calendar, (100) ff. text, (3) ff. prayers. Modern cardboard box, marbled paper lining, “Livres d’heures” title page in vellum on spine. Spine of binding largely missing, boards detached, leather missing from boards and corners, some leaves missing and a few leaves detached.

 

Comments:

15th century illuminated book of hours of 115 vellum leaves with meticulous calligraphy. Numerous initials painted in red and blue, enhanced with gold, of varying sizes. Margins decorated with ornaments: scrolls in black ink, gold-painted leaves, flowers in blue or red paint. Bookish Gothic script traced in brown and red ink, 16 lines per page. The last quire (5 ½ pages by 3 ff.), added, includes a prayer to the virgin (3 and ½ pages), by another hand, in smaller, slightly later handwriting; followed by two prayers to the lord, in larger, later handwriting, in Italian (pp. 3 ½ to 6). Early handwritten mention in Latin on the second counterplate, referring to Pope Clement (Clement IV or V) and King Saint Louis.