IM- 13350:  Calendar leaf for March   -   Original leaf from a French medieval illuminated manuscript Book of Hours. 17 lines of hand-ruled text written in Latin with black and red ink in fine bold gothic textura script on animal vellum.

Large illuminated “KL” initials (abbreviations for KALENDS) & four one-line illuminated initials alternate in burnished gold surrounded by intricate blue penwork & deep blue surrounded by elaborate red penwork. Saints’ names & Feasts are in red (origin of “red letter day”) or black ink.  

Origin:  Paris, France  circa 1425-1450    

Size:  6.1 x 4.5 inches,  (155 x 114mm) 

 Among the saints listed are: (1^st Mar) St Albinus of Angers (Invoked against pirate attacks), (12 Mar), St. Gregory the Great (patron St of mucisians),  (17 Mar), St. Gertrude (patron St of gardeners & travelers), and  (21 Mar) St Benedict (patron saint of Europe, coppersmiths & school children).

To the left of the list of saints’ days are repeating series of letters A - G called Dominical Letters since they help find Sundays (after many calculations). At the far left is a column of Roman numerals i - xix called Golden Numbers to indicate appearances of new moons, & counting ahead 14 days, full moons throughout the year (year + 1; divide by 19; remainder is Golden Number - if zero GN = 19). Finally: each month had 3 fixed points: Kalends (1^st day) Ides (middle) & Nones (9^th day before Ides). All days in between were counted backwards from these points.

Provenance:   Written for the Use of Paris – Rare inclusion of St. Bruno in the Litany indicates possible ownership by a monk of the Carthusian Monastery of Vauvert (Order of St Bruno), Paris (established 1257, dissolved 1792).