Book of hours

Accession number:

MS M.1162

Title:

Book of hours

Created:

Lyons, France, 1484.

Binding:

Crimson velvet, ca. 1800, over original (?) boards; original unwritten leaves as pastedowns; spine in five compartments. Morocco box in slipcase. --Cf. Christie's.

Credit:

Melvin R. Seiden Collection, 2007.

Description:

192 leaves (1 column, 14 lines), bound : vellum, ill. 126 x 82 mm

Provenance:

Guillaume Lambert (his name survives from partially erased inscriptions on fols. 1v, 3v and 4v; on fol. 5v he appears as Guillaume Lambert de Lyon; on fol. 2v is: "Ces heures sont et appartiennent a [two lines erased] lyon et furent escriptes en sa maison pres le portal Lan mil. iiij[superscript c], iiij[superscript xx]. et iiij.."); in two or more 17th-18th-century hands on fol. 192r: Marie Doncieu (presumably the Marie d'Oncieu who married in 1590 Louis de Moyria, baron de la Vellière), Mariane de Moyria or Moiria (twice signed); "A Marianne de la Vellière qui dan mon coeur est profan grave" (Mariane de Moyria or Moiria may be Mariane de la Vellière); in a similar hand, Rose de Lanbert (copied from the earlier inscription Roze de Lambert on fol. 192v); Henry-Auguste Brölemann (1826-1904), his blue-edged label with 'A 28 uex' inside the upper cover; by descent to Madame Étienne Mallet; her sale (Sotheby's, May 4, 1926, lot 52); Quaritch; sold by Quaritch in 1947 to Georges Heilbrun; acquired by Heribert Tenschert in 1993 (his Leuchtendes Mittelalter, VI, 1993/94, no. 74); Lucien Tissot-Dupont, his leather bookplate on fol. 1r; below the bookplate sticker with 'ATD', the initials of André Tissot-Dupont; sale (London, Christies, November 19, 2003, lot 25).

Notes:

Ms. book of hours for the use of Rome; written and illuminated in Lyons, France, in 1484.
Decoration: 19 small miniatures; 14 large miniatures; illuminated initials throughout.
The subjects of the small miniatures are as follows: 1. fol. 16r: St. Luke painting the Virgin -- 2. fol. 18r: St. Matthew -- 3. fol. 20v: St. Mark -- 4. fol. 26v: An apostle or saint -- 5. fol. 31v: An apostle or saint -- 6. fol. 36v: An apostle or saint -- 7. fol. 171v: St. Michael overcoming the devil -- 8. fol. 172r: St. John the Baptist -- 9. fol. 172v: St. Peter -- 10. 173v: Martyrdom of St. Sebastian -- 11. fol. 174v: St. George fighting the dragon -- 12. St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child -- 13. fol. 177v: St. Claud -- 14. fol. 179r: St. Nicholas with the three rescued boys -- 15. fol. 180r: St. Anthony Abbot -- 16. fol. 180v: St. Catherine -- 17. fol. 181v: St. Barbara -- 18. fol. 182v: St. Mary Magdalen -- 19. St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read. --Cf. Christie's.
The subjects of the large miniatures are as follows: 1. fol. 14r: St. John on Patmos -- 2. fol. 23r: Annunciation -- 3. fol. 47r: Visitation -- 4. fol. 63r: Nativity -- 5. fol. 68r: Annunciation to the Shepherds -- 6. fol. 71v: Adoration of the Magi -- 7. fol. 75v: Presentation in the Temple -- 8. fol. 79r: Death of the Virgin -- 9. fol. 87v: Assumption of the Virgin -- 10. fol. 92v: Carrying the Cross, incorporating text as if on a scroll -- 11. fol. 92v: Pentecost -- 12. fol. 102v: David and Bathsheba -- 13. fol. 123r: Job on the dung heap -- 14. fol. 162r: Virgin at three-quarter length on the crescent moon with the Child. --Cf. Christie's.
Artist: Master of Guillaume Lambert.
This manuscript is the name work for the Master of Guillaume Lambert. --Cf. Plummer.
Scribe: Guillaume Lambert.
Collation: 192 leaves, foliated 1-192 from first written leaf and omitting 98: 114 (i/xii unruled bifolio), 28, 39 (of 8 + i unruled), 4-108, 116, 12-148, 154, 16-208, 215 (of 4 (?) + v), 228, 236, 242, 259 (of 12, x-xii cancelled blanks), 261 (of 2 (?), ii as pastedown); catchwords along inner vertical ruling of final versos. --Cf. Christie's.

Script:

bastarda

Language:

Latin

Resources:

Description/Bibliography

Century:

15th century

Genres:

Architectural frames (ornament areas)

Books of hours

Illuminated initials