Original leaf from a manuscript Book of Hours. 12 lines of text, ruled in red, written in Latin with dark brown ink in gothic script on animal vellum. Rubrics in red. (113 x 84 mm – 4 5/8 x 3 ¼’’)
One two-line illuminated initial in red with intricate violet penwork extending along the margin. One one-line illuminated initial in red.
Italy, c. 1460.
The two-line illuminated “C” begins the hymn: “Crucem pro nobis…” (Jesus, enduring the Cross for us and thirsting upon it, with his sacred hands and feet burrowed by nails…).
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.
Shipped unmatted.
