Book of Hours, Use of Paris, Prayers to the Virgin — 15th–16th century, c. 1500; French, Paris

Title

Book of Hours, Use of Paris, Prayers to the Virgin — 15th–16th century, c. 1500; French, Paris

Shelfmark

MS. Buchanan e. 10

Place of origin

French, Paris

Date

15th–16th century, c. 1500

Language

Latin

Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment.

Physical extent

ii (modern paper, the first conjoint with the pastedown) + 184 + ii (modern paper, the second conjoint with the pastedown).

Hands

Written in a gothic liturgical bookhand in two sizes, according to liturgical function

Decoration

Headings in red, capitals touched with a yellow wash.

Fourteen large miniatures with arched tops, all but one (fol. 92r) above five lines of text: (fol. 14r) Pericopes. St. John writing on Patmos, with the Eagle holding his ink-pot and pen-case; some flaking of pigment, especially in the sky. (fol. 26r) Hours of the Virgin, Matins. Annunciation; the Virgin with an open book on her lap. (fol. 60r) Prime. Nativity; the Virgin and Joseph adore the Child. (fol. 66r) Terce. Annunciation to the Shepherds, one with bagpipes. (fol. 71r) Sext. Adoration of the Magi. (fol. 75v) None. Presentation in the Temple. (fol. 80r) Vespers. Flight into Egypt, from right to left; Joseph's face and the sky flaking. (fol. 86v) Compline. Coronation of the Virgin. (fol. 92r) Penitential Psalms. King David in Penitence; some striations of pigment. [Above six lines of text]. (fol. 111r) Hours of the Cross. Crucifixion, with the Virgin and John to the left, the centurian Longinus and other soldiers to the right. (fol. 118r) Hours of the Spirit. Pentecost. (fol. 123v) Office of the Dead. Job on the Dungheap, with his three friends. (fol. 166v) Fifteen Joys. The Virgin and Child enthroned, adored by angels. (fol. 171v) Seven Requests. The Trinity: the Son holding the Cross, the Father wearing a papal tiara and holding an orb, seated together, both holding an open book between them, the Dove above.

Ten small miniatures to the suffrages, mostly seven lines high: (fol. 175r) St. Michael (eight-line). (fol. 175v) St. John the Baptist. (fol. 176r) St. James the Greater. (fol. 176v) St. Christopher; the hermit in the background. (fol. 178r) St. Antony Abbot. (fol. 179r) St. Sebastian. (fol. 180r) St. Nicholas and the three boys in the tub. (fol. 180v) St. Catherine. (fol. 181r) St. Geneviève, with an angel preventing a devil from extinguishing her taper. (fol. 181v) St. Barbara.

One six-line historiated initial: (fol. 49r) Hours of the Virgin, Lauds. Visitation.

Two five-line historiated initials: (fol. 19v) Obsecro te. Virgin and Child enthroned; the Virgin holding a red fruit(?). (fol. 23r) O intemerata. Pietà.

The large miniatures and the Lauds initial are surrounded by four-sided framed borders of stylised foliage on a plain parchment ground, and variously-shaped panels of naturalistic plants on a painted gold ground; the small miniatures and five-line historiated initials surrounded by similar three-sided borders (in the outer margins); similar one-sided border panels on all pages with a two-line initial.

Four- or three-line initials in blue and red, enclosing foliage, on a gold ground, at the start of each text with a large miniature; two-line initals in gold, on a blue and red ground with white tracery, to psalms, capitula, lessons, etc. and the KL monograms in the calendar; similar one-line initials to verses and other minor divisions; similar line-fillers throughout.

For fol. 1 see Accompanying Material.

Binding

Sewing not visible; tightly rebound between 19th-century pasteboards, re-using panels of 16th-century brown leather with gilt tooling à la fanfare, Paris c.1580–90, in the style associated with Clovis Eve (of the bindings ill. in Hobson, Les reliures à la fanfare, the boards are closest in general design to pl. XXI b); the centre of each cover inlaid with a 17th-century oval medallion of red leather tooled in gilt (perhaps replacing the identifying mark of a previous owner); the spine similarly tooled, without raised bands or title-piece (similar in design to ibid. pl. XIXa); coloured endbands; the edges of the leaves and boards gilt. Boxed.

Acquisition

Given to the Bodleian by his widow, Mrs E. O. Buchanan, in 1939 by his widow,Mrs. E. O. Buchanan, when it was accessioned as MS. Lat. liturg. e. 31; re-referenced as MS. Buchanan e. 10 in 1941.

Provenance

Perhaps made for use in Paris, and presumably still there when bound in the late 16th century; fol. 1 was perhaps added at the same time.

Unidentified English 19th-century owner: no markings characteristic of booksellers survive, since the endleaves have been replaced, but 'Small office of the | Virgin' has been written in pencil below the image on fol. 1r.

John Buchanan; inscribed in pencil with the 'Descriptive list' number, '10.', in the top left corner of the upper pastedown.

Rt. Hon. T. R. Buchanan (1846–1911).