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Northern France, Paris. Circa AD 1425. Leaf (4.53”x5.98”). Medieval Book of Hours. Illuminated leaf containing Psalm 29: 8b-13 and Psalm 39: 1-3a in the Vulgate. From a prayer book worthy of someone of some means for the time. Two nice sections from Psalms of David. Gold, red, blue, and white illumination. Ink intact and readable. Slight browning at edge, slight wrinkle, old price and code penciled in at lower margin. VF.
A “Book of Hours” is a Christian prayer book which was used by the owner to recite the canonical hour prayers. In modern times this practice is known as the Liturgy of the Hours. These handwritten books were individually created for lay people during the Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries) and are usually written in Latin. The typical book of hours contains extracts from the Four Gospels; Psalms of Degrees; Penitential Psalms; Hours of the Cross; and other contents. These books become more elaborate in their construct based on the wealth of the buyer. Simple versions contain mostly unadorned text, often highly abbreviated. Complete texts, as seen in these examples, are a step up in value. As the adornment (illumination), including the use of color and images, goes up, so does the corresponding level of interest and worth. Many of these books survive although the great majority have been broken down into individual leaves which can be displayed as a form of art.
Closing Date and Time: 3 April 2024 at 15:10:00 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
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