Book of Hours

Hours of the Virgin. Matins.

F-zfm7

Unknown, Current Location Unknown, IM-1473

General Information

Title Book of Hours
Material Parchment
Place of Origin Northern France

Original Condition

Page Height at least 195 mm
Page Width at least 142 mm
Height of Written Area 85 mm
Width of Written Area 62 mm
Number of Columns 1
Number of Lines 13

Current Condition

Dimensions 195 x 145mm

Book Decoration and Musical Notation

Description

Full borders of acanthus and rinceaux in gold and colors with
birds, plants, trees, and hybrids. One- to -three-line initials
throughout, many historiated with portraits. Roundel miniature
in the outer central margin of each recto and verso illustrating
several different narratives: Calendar: Labors of the Month (r)
and Zodiac (v); Gospel Readings: Evangelist portraits and
Biblical scenes; Marian prayers: Scenes from the Life of the
Virgin and other Biblical scenes; Hours of the Virgin: Scenes
from the Life of St. Katherine of Alexandria; Penitential
Psalms and Office of the Dead: Scenes from the Life of St.
Alexis. Attributed to the Coëtivy Master.

History

Origin

Written in Northern France in the third quarter of the fifteenth
century, Use of Paris indicated by the Calendar and the
responsories of the Office of the Dead. The presence of
extensive illustrative cycles for the Lives of St. Alexis and of
St. Catherine of Alexandria suggest that the manuscript may
have been made for a married couple named Alexis and
Catherine.

Provenance

When complete, said to have been owned by Erza Clark
Stillman (1907-95), New York, NY. Likely broken by Bruce
Ferrini in the 1980s.