Illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours.
Paris or Rouen: circa 1495.
Illuminated leaf, 215 x 152 mm., with a panel border on both sides of the leaf composed of blue and gold acanthus leaves and coloured flowers and leaves on diagonal grounds of liquid gold, illuminated initials in white tracery on pink grounds, and numerous 1-line initials in gold alternately on red and blue grounds, naturalistic branch line fillers; 27 lines of text in gothic script.
A beautifully illuminated leaf from a luxurious fifteenth-century French Book of Hours. This leaf is from the shorter version of the central text of the Book of Hours, modelled on the Divine Office and performed at the eight canonical hours of the day and which was called the "Little Office of the Blessed Virgin" (or Hours of the Virgin).
A beautifully illuminated leaf from a luxurious fifteenth-century French Book of Hours. This leaf is from the shorter version of the central text of the Book of Hours, modelled on the Divine Office and performed at the eight canonical hours of the day and which was called the "Little Office of the Blessed Virgin" (or Hours of the Virgin).
The panel border on each side of the leaf is composed of fields of blue and gold acanthus leaves interspersed with mauve, red, blue and white flowers on zig-zag grounds of liquid gold. Additionally, there are four 2-line initials in white on pink grounds; five 1-line initials in liquid gold on blue or red and four line-fillers in similar colours.
The delicate initials are typical of the work executed in Paris or Rouen; in tandem with the generous application of liquid gold in the margins, it places this work as hailing from the late fifteenth century.
Price (AUD): $1,950.00
US$1,268.97 Other currencies