IM-13380: Calendar Leaf for OCTOBER  -  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) & five 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: (2 Oct) St. Leodegar,  (9 Oct) St. Dyonysius, (14 Oct) St. Callistus (pope), (17 Oct) St. Cerbonius, (18 Oct) St Luke (evangelist) and (28 Oct) Sts Simon and Jude (apostles).

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).