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ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT Book of Hours, use of Utrecht, [Netherlands, c.1450] image 1
ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT Book of Hours, use of Utrecht, [Netherlands, c.1450] image 2
ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT Book of Hours, use of Utrecht, [Netherlands, c.1450] image 3
ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT Book of Hours, use of Utrecht, [Netherlands, c.1450] image 4
Lot 30

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT
Book of Hours, use of Utrecht, [Netherlands, c.1450]

20 November 2024, 13:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £14,080 inc. premium

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ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT

Book of Hours, use of Utrecht, text in Dutch, from translation by Geert Grote, on vellum, 191 leaves (including 4 blanks), Gothic script, 18 lines, black and red ink, 5 leaves with a large 6 or 7-line opening initial in blue and white with floral decoration on liquid gold background and a full border of acanthus leaves, flowers, fruits, animals and birds (bear, stag, cat with mouse, owl, stork, squirrel, parrot, lion, etc.), 6 leaves with 4-line initial of liquid gold on background of blue and pink with trailing flourishes in gilt and colours at inner border, smaller initials in alternate red and blue, with liquid gold details, some surface abrasions but generally bright, seventeenth century calf with central gilt arabesque roundel within one-line fillet border on covers, rebacked, corners repaired, some rubbing, 12mo (139 x 100mm.), [Netherlands, c.1450]

Footnotes

ATTRACTIVELY DECORATED MANUSCRIPT BOOK OF HOURS made for the Dutch market, with the text translated into the vernacular by Geert Grote (1340-1384), the founder of the Devotio moderna, a popular devotional movement that emphasized solitary, personal meditation on Christ's passion.

The presence of red letter days in the calendar for the feast days of St. Pancratius (May 12), St. Servatius (May 13), St. Boniface (June 4), St. Odulf of Utrecht (June 11), St. Lebuin (June 24), St. Martin (July 4), St. Lambert of Maastricht (September 17), St. Willibrord of Utrecht (November 7) point to the use of Utrecht.

The marginal decoration on six leaves (ff. 14r, 40r, 80r, 132r, 150r) features historiated initials surrounded by decorations including acanthus leaves, flowers, fruits, birds and animals including a stag, a bear eating honey, a cat, squirrel and a lion.

TEXT: ff. 1-12v Calendar in the use of Utrecht, f. 13 blank, ff. 14r-39v: Hours of the Holy Spirit (rubric: "Hier beghint des heilighen gheistes getijde"); ff. 40r-79r: Hours of the Cross (rubric on f. 39v: "Hier beghint die lange cruus gheti"); ff. 80r-131v: Hours of the Virgin (rubric: "Hier beghint onser vrouwe ghetide"); ff. 132r-141v: The Seven Penitential Psalms (rubric: "Hier beghint die .vij. psalm"); ff. 141v-149v: Litany and collects; ff. 150r-191v: Office of the Dead (rubric: "Hier beghint die lange vighelie").

Provenance: The current owner was presented with the Book of Hours on his first birthday, 3 April 1958, with a gilt lettered morocco label loosely inserted.

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