c 1450-75 Book of Hours Leaf - Face in margin - Psalms

$0.00

Original leaf from a manuscript Book of Hours. 15 lines of hand-ruled text written in Latin on animal vellum in brown ink. (184 x 125mm – 7 ¼ x 4 7/8’’) 

One two-line illuminated initial, eight one-line illuminated initials and eight line extenders in burnished gold on red and blue ground with delicate white penwork. The panel borders contain a highly decorative floral design with flowers, berries, and acanthus leaves in blue, red, green, pink, and burnished gold.     

France (Anjou), Use of Angers, c. 1450-75.

A charming ink drawing (doodle) of a man’s head extends from the last line of text (verso) into the lower margin!

The one-line illuminated “D” begins Psalm 123 (King James 124) 3-8: “Cum irasceretur…” (When their fury was enkindled against us, perhaps the waters had swallowed us up…). 

The two-line illuminated “Q” begins Psalm 124 (KJ 125) 1-3: “Qui confidunt…” (They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion: he shall not be moved forever that dwelleth in Jerusalem. Mountains are round about it: so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth now and forever. For the Lord will not leave the rod of sinners upon the lot of the just: that the just may not stretch forth their hands to iniquity).

Angers was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of Rene of Anjou, (1434-80). When this leaf was scribed the two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty, House of Lancaster & House of York, were engaged in the War of the Roses.

Presented in an archival 14 x 11'' mat

  • Inventory# IM-12535
Sold Out