Book of hours : use of Rome - Catholic Church; Garrett, Robert, 1875-1961; Princeton University Library
Ms. book of hours for Rome use, written and illuminated in South Netherlands, possibly Flanders or Bruges. The painting is in Flemish style characteristic of Bruges in the third quarter of the 15th century.
Decoration: 14 full-page miniatures with full borders on versos for Matins of the Short Hours of the Cross and of the Short Hours of the Holy Spirit (ff. 7v, 12v), Mass of the Virgin (f. 17v), Prayer of Obsecro te (f. 24v), Matins, Prime to Compline of the Hours of the Virgin (ff. 32v, 52v, 56v, 60v, 64v, 68v, 74v), Advent Hours of the Virgin (f. 79v), psalm 6 of Penitential Psalms (f. 85v), and Vespers psalm of the Office of the Dead (f. 99v). Miniatures and their facing text pages with full borders of acanthus leaves in royal blue, red, and beige, interspersed with green leaves, berries, and flowers, and baguettes in gold, blue, and pink. Interior scenes usually have three windows of diagonal panes beneath red vaults supported on green columns (ff. 12v, 17v, 64v, 100r). Eight 6- to 7-line miniatures with top and bottom borders for Suffrages to saints (ff. 28v, 29 [2], 29v, 30r, 30v, 31r, 31v). 6-line initials in blue or pink, decorated with foliage in blue and pink, on gold and blue or pink grounds, with full borders, for Matins of the Short Hours of the Cross and of the Short Hours of the Holy Spirit (ff. 8r, 13r), Mass of the Virgin (f. 18r), Matins of the Hours of the Virgin (f. 33r), psalm 6 of Penitential Psalms (f. 86r), and Vespers psalm of the Office of the Dead (f. 100r). 5-line initials in blue or pink, decorated with foliage in blue and pink, on gold and blue or pink grounds, with full borders, for Prayer of Obsecro te (f. 25r), Lauds to Compline of the Hours of the Virgin (ff. 45r, 53r, 57r, 61r, 65r, 69r, 75r). 4-line initial in pink, decorated with foliage in blue, on gold and blue grounds, with full borders, for Advent Hours of the Virgin (f. 80r). 4-line champide initials, with baguettes in inner margins with foliate flourishes and floral ornament, for Prayer of "O intemerata" (f. 27r). 3-line champide initials for Gospel Sequence of John (f. 21r), and Antiphon to the Virgin, "Salve regina" (f. 78r). 2-line champide initials for psalms, hymns, collects, for Prime to Compline of the Short Hours of the Cross and of the Short Hours of the Holy Spirit, Sequences of Luke, Matthew, and Mark (ff. 21v, 22v, 23v), Collect to the Virgin, "Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui gloriose uirginis et matris" (f. 78r), K(yrie) of the litany (f. 93r). Colors of blue, pink, orangy red, grey, green, and gold (not backgrounds of miniatures). 1-line initials alternately gold with black penwork and blue with red penwork for versals. Line-endings in gold and blue geometric ornament.
Layout: Parchment; single column of 21 lines; 185 x 130 (110 x 70) mm.; 110 x 75 mm. (calendar).
Latin and French
Brown calf leather over wooden boards with two metal clasps, the modern upper as plain, the original lower as lion guardant; front and back covers stamped with four rectangular panels, each inscribed "OB LAUDEM XPRISTI LIBRUM HUNC RECTE LIGAUI IOHANNES GUILLEBERT," and decorated with flora of vine and grapes, enclosing apes and birds in pairs; rebacked. Name of Flemish binder, Johannes Guillebert (active 1467-1489), in inscription.
Garrett MS. 50, Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
of Robert Garrett
Keywords: Books of hours -- Belgium -- Bruges; Catholic Church -- Prayers and devotions; Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern) -- New Jersey -- Princeton; Manuscripts, French -- New Jersey -- Princeton