Illuminated Manuscript Book of Hours Leaf, France, c. 1500
Prayers to Saint Martha
IM-13540 Original leaf from a
French medieval illuminated manuscript Book of Hours. 13 lines of
hand-ruled text written in Latin with dark brown ink in fine lettre bâtarde script on animal vellum
with rubrics in red.
Embellished
with a two-line illuminated initial in burnished gold on a red and blue ground.
Origin: Paris, France circa 1500.
Size: 110 x 75mm – 4.25 x 2.9 inches, from a
diminutive manuscript likely written for a lady.
This
leaf continues the section of Suffrages - prayers to saints who
were considered the protectors, helpers and guardians of medieval people. The text continues prayers regarding Saint
Martha (patron saint of butlers & cooks).
The two-line illuminated “O”
begins: “Omnipotens…” (Almighty and eternal God whose son blessed Martha…).
Provenance: ex-collection of Brooklyn Museum of Art, acquired in
1919. Deaccessioned and sold to support
the museum collection.
This Book of Hours leaf was scribed circa 1500. This is a beautiful and highly ornamental original, more than 500 years old, not a reproduction. It is in excellent antiquarian condition as seen in the photos. - 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. | ||