Main text in dark brown ink, rubrics in red.

17 full-page miniatures, always matched with a facing page large decorated initial that opens the relevant section.

All miniatures are enclosed by marginal decorations in the shape of rectangular frames, where the main scene is seen through a porch/window with a segmental arch (with the exception of f. 18v). The frames have an architectural design, e.g. f. 25v, or realistically depicted flowers, birds, and insects painted in trompe l’oeil, e.g. f. 16v. The borders occasionally also makes use of smaller text plates, e.g. f. 89v where the text ‘o tres regis’ works as a title for the miniature, or f. 63v and f. 64r which contain double sets of text plates with the hymn ‘Gressum cepit cum concepit’.

The motifs are rendered in central perspective, using even aerial perspective. The figures wear clothes in stiff folds, have broad faces and rose carnation. Halos are rendered through very thin radiating golden lines. On two occasions the motif is designed as a close up (f. 148v, f. 211r) and at one instance it is painted in grisaille (f. 17r). The marginal decoration seems to be by two or three different artists. The architectural decorations are by one hand and the floral with large branches are by another hand. The golden frames with flowers dominate, and might be done by a third artist. The miniatures are by at least two separate artists. At some facing pages the work of the two illuminators meet, as on f. f. 16v (Artist A) and f. 17r (Artist B).

Four miniatures are on inserted singletons. (f. 40, f. 63, f. 101, f. 151). They are painted on an unruled thicker parchment, blank on one side and turns the flesh side to the hair side of the parchment. The marginal decorations on the inserted folios are of the same style and content as their framed facing pages.

Iconography (including historiated initials):

Hours of the Holy Cross;

f. 16v: Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane; f. 17r: Christ before Pilate (grisaille on a blue background); f. 18v: the Flagellation of Christ; f. 20v: the Mocking of Christ/Crowning with Thorns; f. 22v: Christ Carrying the Cross; f. 25v: the Lamentation of Christ; f. 27v: the Entombment;

Hours of the Holy Spirit:

f. 29v: Pentecost;

Hours of the Virgin:

f. 40v: the Annunciation; f. 63v: the Visitation; f. 77v: the Nativity; f. 83v: the Annunciation to the Shepherds; f. 89v: the Adoration of the Magi; f. 95v: the Presentation in the temple; f. 101v: the Massacre of the Innocents; f. 111v: the Flight into Egypt;

Seven penitential psalms:f. 118v: King David in prayer

Office for the dead: f. 151v: the Raising of Lazarus.

Athanasian creed: f. 143r: the Holy Trinity;

Verses of St Bernard: f. 148v: St Bernard preaching to the devil;

O intemerata: f. 211r: Pietà;

Suffrages: ff. 214r–228r: portraits of 17 saints.

ff. 19r–206r: New sections are opened by decorated initials over 4 lines. The initials are made up of acanthus leaves and other folitate ornaments in gold imitating yellow-brownish hues.

The letters are placed on rectangular backgrounds in red or blue, enclosed by a thin framing line in gold. Shadows around the letter bodies create an illusion of depth. The initials and the following text are often surrounded by borders that match that of the facing page miniature.

Besides the full-page miniatures the manuscript also contains a set of 6 historiated initials. These extend over 6 lines and are similar in style to the initials described above. The initials are placed on a background of alternating purplish red or greenish blue and is surrounded by a painted border, quarter to three-quarter, containing flower and animal motifs on a gold imitating yellow background.

ff. 17r–228v: A smaller version of the acanthus initials, over 2 lines, are used in the beginning of every paragraph and sometimes an even smaller 1-line initial/capital is used to mark sentences.

Modern binding. Redish brown leather over wooden boards. 5 double raised bands and endbands.

LCO, stamped in gold:‘ A 228’.