Original leaf from a medieval manuscript Book of Hours. 16 lines of ruled text, ruled in red, written in Latin with dark brown ink in gothic script on animal vellum. (179 x 127mm – 7 x 5’’)
Three illuminated two-line initials in blue and white on burnished gold ground with floral infill; eleven illuminated one-line initials and four illuminated line-extenders in liquid gold on blue or sepia ground. The panel borders (both sides) contain a highly decorative floral design with flowers, and acanthus leaves in blue, red, green, pink, burnished and brushed gold.
Western France (Poitou?), c. 1470. Provenance: From a Book of Hours presented by Count Claude de Fonsèque to his sister Countess Hélène de Fonsèque de Seguères. Formerly in the collection of Allen Rowland – exhibited at the Beinecke Library, Yale.
The one-line illuminated “D” begins Psalm 128 (King James 129): 4-8: “Dominus iustus…” (The Lord who is just will cut the necks of sinners…).
The two-line illuminated “D” begins Psalm 129 (KJ 130) – verse 1: “De profundis…” (Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord: Lord).
The second two-line illuminated “D” begins Psalm 130 (KJ 131) – complete: “Domine non…” (Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me. If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul: As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul. Let Israel hope in the lord, form henceforth now and forever).
The two-line illuminated “E” begins Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 24:24: “Ego mater…” (I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope).
Presented in an archival 14 x 11'' mat