Book of Hours (Use of Paris), "The St. Alexius Hours" – Fragment
Parchment · 1 leaf · 1450 – 1475 CE · France (Northern) · 195 x 142 (85 x 62) mmF-cpn6
Unknown, Current Location Unknown, Charles Edwin Puckett Rare Books IM-1516
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Simmons School of Library and Information Science LIS 464 (Fall 2025) observations
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Liturgica
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Summary
"KL Ffeurier.../...S'Iust"
Calendar for the month of March, from a fifteenth-century Book of Hours known as the St. Alexius Hours. Written in northern France in the third quarter of the fifteenth century.
17 lines on recto, 13 on verso. Alternating blue and red text with gold text for: February 2, "la chandeleur"; February 22, "S'pierre"; February 24, "S'mathias. Use of Paris indicated by references to saints celebrated in Paris. Dates of interest include:
February 6, St. Amant (celebated in Paris without St. Vedast)
February 7, St. Theodore (Theodorus of Heraclea, celebrated in Paris)
February 11, St. Psalmon (St. Salomon of Brittany, Translation)
February 12, St. Iulien (celebrated in Paris)
February 13, St. Desier (St. Desiderius, celebratin in Paris)
February 15, St. Lucien (Parisian name for st. Lucius, celebrated in Paris)
February 20, St. Cloust (Chlodoald, celebrated in Paris)
February 21, St. Victor (Parisian name for St. Victorinus)
February 25, St. Ueram (Verain, celebrated in Paris)
February 26, St. Venice (Veronica, celebrated in Paris)
February 27, St. Honorine (celebrated in Paris and Rouen)
February 28, St. Iust (celebrated in Paris)
Three unusual saints may indicate further personalization or localization:
February 8, St. Eleine (Helena, displaced from the 7th by Theodore)
February 17, St. Sapience
February 19, Vigil (?) of St. Cloust
Full border of acanthus and rinceaux in gold and colors with birds, fruits, and flowers. Roundel miniature in the outer central margin of recto and verso.
Recto: Labors of the Seasons - Warming by the Fire: A knight (unidentified but wearing red and blue with gold figures) warming himself before a fire in a stone castle. Behind him are a red and gold tapestry and several bundles of wood.
Verso: Zodiac - Pisces: Two large fish over a background of a river through hills
Codex, when complete, said to have been owned by Ezra Clark Stillman (1907-1995), New York, NY. Likely broken by Bruce Ferrini in the 1980s. Resequenced December 2025.
This leaf offered by Charles Puckett Rare Books, stock number IM-1516, current location unknown.
Lightly written along bottom right margin of verso: "C(?) 35 VM 1361." Some ruling visible, faint red, vertical and horizontal.
Sarah Leveille
