A mid 15th century illuminated manuscript Book of Hours,
inscribed in a flowing gothic script, likely produced in the Northern Low
Countries.
While in France or England, it was largely common for Books
of Hours to be written in Latin, but many Books of Hours made in the Northern
Low Countries were written in Dutch. The style of illumination is extremely
similar to examples found there.
This Book of Hours is illuminated throughout, with a beautiful,
illuminated opening following the calendar, the text surrounded by a blue
border, accentuated with leaves, foliage, flowers, and two birds. There are 13
large 4-line initials illuminated with gold leaf, decorated with illuminated
tendrils. There are 12 3-line illuminated initials on a red and blue
background, 187 2-line illuminated initials also against a red and blue
background, and hundreds of blue initials with red tendrils.
This Book of Hours is written in a 16-line format.
This Book of Hours has been bound in a contemporary brown
calfskin binding of the late 15th century, decorated with blind-tooled designs.
There are several leaves lacking, likely containing
miniatures or other historiated initials. Overall, still a substantially
complete Book of Hours with several faults, and an interesting example
providing some insight into the practice of biblioclasm, especially in regard
to early manuscripts.
One blind-stamped leather-bound illuminated
manuscript in octavo (17 x 12.5 cm), 199 leaves on vellum
This manuscript is in poor shape,
the contemporary binding heavily worn, with the spine peeling in places, and
the hinges cracked, with several cords to the front cover split. 23 leaves (including
the illuminated opening) have been mutilated with excised initials or cut border
tendrils namely from the larger 4-line initials, likely by 19th or 20th century
owners who sought the illumination work for other purposes. Mercifully, most of
the affected leaves have the text preserved, through some of the lines at the
bottom have been partially obscured or affected by the excisions. There is some
thumbing and staining throughout. A candidate for restoration, priced under the
assumption that it will require repairs as the binding is largely falling
apart. As in accordance with the previous owner’s wishes, this manuscript is
being sold under the understanding that it will not be broken apart for the
individual sale of leaves.