A single leaf from a manuscript Book of Hours. 17 lines of red ruled French text, in blue, red or gold ink on animal vellum. Large “KL” initials (for KALENDS) are in blue on a gold & floral ground. Panel borders around the miniatures contain floral, ivy & acanthus leaves in gold, red, blue, green & pink.
Size: 160x110mm – 6 ¼ x 4 3/8 inches
Northern France: probably Paris, c. 1440.
The miniature (recto) shows the labor of the month (Falconry) depicted with a couple riding a white horse, with a falcon resting on the man’s wrist and two hunting dogs running beside them. The miniature (verso) depicts the zodiacal sign (per the 1460 calendar) of Gemini with the twins (one light and one dark-skinned), holding a gold shield beside them.
The two miniatures are surrounded by a border having a highly decorative floral design with berries & acanthus leaves in blue, red, green & brushed gold. Lavish use of gold is evident, particularly in the shading of the clothed figures.
Feasts alternate red & blue with the important days in burnished gold. Among the feast days listed are: Saints James & Philip – Apostles (1st), St. Quiricus (4th – Bishop of Jerusalem), St John the Evangelist “a porta Latina” (6th), St. Boniface (14th ), St Honoratis (16th – Bishop of Amiens), St. Ambrose (17th), St. Felix (18th), St. Maximus (20th), St Aubert (22nd), St. Urban (25th), St. Augustine of Canterbury (26th), and St. Petronilla (31st).
Left of the list of saints’ days are the letters A - G called Dominical Letters since they help find Sundays. Far left are 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 (1st day) Ides (middle) & Nones (9th day before Ides). Days in between were counted backwards from these points.
Shipped unmatted
