Book of Hours — 15th century, second quarter (before 1443); English

Title

Book of Hours — 15th century, second quarter (before 1443); English

Shelfmark

MS. Lat. liturg. f. 31

Place of origin

English

Date

15th century, second quarter (before 1443)

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

i (paper) + 71 + i (paper) leaves.

Decoration

Two surviving initials in rose, blue, and white, on a gold ground, from which springs a four-sides foliate border; each initial containing a coat of arms: (fol. 52r) Lauds. Three-line initial D[eus] with perhaps the royal arms of England (gules, a bordure argent, three lions passant, or; with some flaking of pigments); it has been suggested that the two-line initial on fol. 2v representes the same arms drawn in white on a blue ground (fol. 66r) Prime. Three-line initial D[eus] with the arms perhaps of John, baron Tiptoft (1375–1443): argent, a saltire engrailed, gules; most of the margins cut away, but the painted borders were apparently four-sided.

Two-line initials in gold, on rose, blue, and white grounds, with foliate painted and pen-spray extensions, to psalms, lessons, etc..

One-line initials alternately in blue with red penwork, or gold with purple penwork, to verses, etc.

Binding

Sewn on four bands and bound in 18th/19th-cent. polished brown calf over pasteboards; the edges of the boards and the raised bands on the spine with simple gilt decoration lines; the upper board almost detached.

Acquisition

Sold at Sotheby's, 11 April 1961, lot 125; bought by the Bodleian.

Provenance

On fol.52, incorporated in an initial, are the royal arms, and similarly, on fol.66, the arms of John, baron Tiptoft (1375?–1443): argent, a saltire engrailed, gules, which are also found in white outline on a blue ground on fol.2v.

Sir Henry Lawson (bookplate bearing his arms, crest, motto 'LEVE ET RELUIS', and name)

C. W. Dyson Perrins (cf. MS. Lat. liturg. g. 8)