c1450-75 MEDIEVAL BOOK OF HOURS LEAF, IN FRENCH, ILLUMINATED BORDERS andINITIALS

Description

Illuminated Manuscript Book of Hours Leaf, France, c. 1450-75
Written in Medieval French
IM-12781:
Original leaf from a manuscript
Book of Hours
. 15 lines of hand-ruled text
written in French
on animal vellum in brown ink.
Size: 184 x 125mm – 7 ¼ x 4 7/8 inches.
There are three two-line illuminated initials
,
three one-line illuminated initials and three line extenders in burnished gold
on red and blue ground with delicate white penwork. The panel borders contain a highly decorative floral design with flowers, berries, and acanthus leaves in blue, red, green, pink, and burnished gold.
France (Anjou), Use of Angers, c. 1450-75
.
This leaf commemorates the
Fifteen Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary
: “Etres doulce dame…” The prayer was one of the most popular of all accessory prayers – especially in fifteenth century France. Each of the 15 sections is divided into two parts, first a direct address to Mary, recalling one of her joyous moments as the mother of Christ, and then asking her to intercede for the salvation of the praying soul.
The prayer which begins with the
two-line illuminated “E” pertains to the
Ascension of Christ.
The
second two-line illuminated “E” pertains to the
Pentecost.
The
third two-line illuminated “E” pertains to the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This is one of the
very few medieval BoH leaves written in French
– once the prayer was completed, the text reverted to Latin.
Angers was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of Rene of Anjou, (1434-80). When this leaf was scribed the two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty, House of Lancaster & House of York, were engaged in the
War of the Roses.
This Book of Hours leaf was scribed circa 1450-1475.
This is a beautiful and highly ornamental original,
about 550
years old
, not a reproduction. It is in exceptionally nice condition as shown in the photos. The colors and gold are  fresh and bright.
It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity
.
Books of Hours
are personal prayer books of a devout and status-conscious society and are not only works of art, but cultural documents of their time. They reveal a unique combination of sacred and secular imagery - made of the finest materials, by the best craftsmen, for a small audience that could both appreciate and afford them.
We have been full-time dealers in Illuminated Manuscripts, Maps, Prints and Antiquities since 1980.