National Library of Sweden, A 229
Book of Hours (Use of Paris)
France, Paris, 1440-1460
parchment
iii, 220, ii' leaves
165 × 115 mm
Latin, French
The calendar is of the "composite" type typical of 15th-century Paris (See Erik Drigsdahl, 1995), recording one feast (at least) for each day of the year, many with typical spellings, such as ‘Typhanie’ for Epiphany. Notable feasts are:
f. 4r: St Genevieve (3 Jan.; in gold);
f. 4v: St Beatrice (30 Jan.);
f. 5v: St Veronica (26 Feb.; ‘Venice’);
f. 6v: St Thecla (24 Mar.);
f. 7v: St Anastasius (26 Apr.);
f. 8v: St Chéron (27 May);
f. 9r: St Claude of Besançon (6 June);
f. 9r: St Basil (14 June; ‘babille’);
f. 10r: St Landri (14 June; Landry of Paris?);
f. 10v: St Felix II (29 July);
f. 11r: St Claire of Assisi (12 Aug.)
f. 12r: St ‘Demettre’ (10 Sept.; possibly for St Nemesion (see Perdrizet (1933), p. 221));
f. 12r: St Venantius of Tours (13 Sept.);
f. 12v: St Hiece (24 Sept.; unidentified);
f. 13r: St Denis (9 Oct.; in gold);
f. 13v: St Gabriel (16 Oct.);
f. 13v: St Louthiern (19 Oct.; ‘Luternast’);
f. 13v: St Gratien of Amiens (23 Oct.);
f. 14v: St Romanus (18 Nov.);
f. 14v: St Edmund of Canterbury (19 Nov.);
f. 14v: St Genevieve (27 Nov.; in gold);
f. 15v: St Séverin of Paris (19 Dec.).
Listed after the prayer are the incipits ‘Pater noster ’and ‘Aue maria’.
The bifolium making up f. 25/ f. 30 has been incorrectly placed in the sequence; it should come after the bifolium making up f. 26 / f. 29; consequently, ff. 26r–26v contain text belonging to Obsecro te.
f. 31v: full-page miniature: St Katherine with her attributes, a sword and a broken wheel; kneeling in prayer in front of her, one of the former owners of the book, Katherine de Brunfay; below: a banner with her name, ‘KATHERINE DE BRVNFAY’.
The rubric notwithstanding, the text corresponds to the Seven Requests edited by Leroquais (1927), lacking, however, the request relating to the disciples.
The bifolium making up f. 206 / f. 209 has been incorrectly placed in the sequence; it should come after the bifolium making up f. 207 / f. 208; consequently, the text comes in the incorrect order and f. 206v contains text belonging to the rhymed prayer to the Holy Cross. An early modern hand has added signes-de-renvoi at the relevant places.
f. 208r: St Anthony;
f. 208v: St Sebastian (continues on f. 210r);
f. 209r: St Michael;
f. 210v: St Christopher;
f. 212r: St Dionysius;
f. 213r: St Nicholas;
f. 213v: St Katherine;
f. 214v: St Barbara;
f. 215v: St Margaret;
f. 216v: St Genevieve;
f. 217r: St Avoye (Aurea);
f. 217v: St Apollonia.
The bifolium making up f. 206 / f. 209 has been incorrectly placed in the sequence; it should come after the bifolium making up f. 207 / f. 208; consequently, f. 209r contains text from the rhymed prayer to the Holy Cross and the suffrages come in the incorrect order; they should begin with St Michael (f. 209r), and continue with St Anthony (f. 208r). An early modern hand has added signes-de-renvoi at the relevant places.
Secundo folio
Adesto domine suplicacionibusFoliation
Condition
Textblock
Edges trimmed with some loss of border decorations and text of the maginal notations.Layout
Additions
Binding/Endleaves
Decorations
Textblock
Rubrics in red.
(ff. 4r–219r): border panels in the outer margin with floral motifs in reds, blues, greens, yellows, purples, and tendrils in black.
(ff. 4r–15r): opening foliate initials ‘KL’ over 2 lines in blue and red (in alternating order) and outlined in black on a gold background outlined in black. Patterns in white inside letter bodies; foliage in red and blue in counterspace. (ff. 16r–218v): foliate initials over 2-3 lines in red or blue and outlined in black on a gold background outlined in black. Patterns in white inside letter bodies; foliage in red and blue in counter space. (ff. 31r–210v): dentelle initials over 1 line in gold with black outline on a red or blue background outlined in black. Counter space in red or blue with patterns in white. (ff. 22r–216v): line fillers: bars outlined in black and coloured in half red, half blue with patterns in white, and a golden disc outlined in black at the middle.
Miniatures: (f. 16r): St John writing his Gospel; (f. 18r): St Luke writing his Gospel; (f. 19v): St Matthew writing his Gospel; (f. 21r): St Mark writing his Gospel; (f. 22v): the Virgin Mary with the Christ child; (f. 25v): the Virgin Mary with the body of Christ (Pietà); (f. 32r): the Annunciation; (f. 60r): the Visitation; (f. 72r): the Nativity; (f. 79r): the Annunciation to the shepherds; (f. 84r): the Adoration of the Magi; (f. 88v); the Presentation at the Temple; (f. 94r): the Flight into Egypt; (f. 102r): the Coronation of the Virgin Mary; (f. 108r): St John the Baptist; (f. 108v): St Stephen; (f. 109r): St Eustace; (f. 110r): St Lawrence; (f. 110v): St Maur; (f. 111r): St Germain; (f. 112r): King David; (f. 132r): the Crucifixion; (f. 141v): the Pentecost; (f. 149r): funeral mass; (f. 199r): Virgin Mary with the Christ child; (f. 205r): the Trinity; (f. 208r): St Anthony; (f. 208v): St Sebastian; (f. 209r): St Michael; (f. 210v): St Christopher; (f. 212r): St Denis; (f. 213r): St Nicholas; (f. 213v): St Katherine; (f. 214v): St Barbara; (f. 215v): St Margaret; (f. 216v): St Genevieve; (f. 217r): St Avoye; (f. 218r): St Apollonia. (f. 31v): full-page miniature: St Katherine with her attributes, a sword and a broken wheel; kneeling in prayer in front of her, one of the former owners of the book, Katherine de Brunfay; below: a banner with her name, ‘KATHERINE DE BRVNFAY’. The portrait is a later addition painted in on a blank page in a style indicating the first half of the 16th century. For further description of the decoration, see Lindqvist Sandgren.
Binding
Modern binding. Red leather over cardboard; a border of gilt leaves. 5 bands and endbands. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘Manuscrit du XVme Siècle’; below: the current signum ‘A 229’; below:‘ avez des miniatures’.
Gilded floral pattern.
Origin
France, Paris, 1440-1460. The calendar is a so-called "composite" calendar typical of 15th-century Paris (see Erik Drigsdahl 1995) recording one feast (at least) for every day of the year. The style of the decorations and miniatures also place the manuscript in mid-15th-century Paris, albeit with one additional miniature on f. 31v added in the 16th century.
Provenance
For several decades, at least, the manuscript was in the possession of the de Brunfay family, which seems to have had its origins around the area of Vieux-Campagne, just southeast of Paris (see Annales de la Société historique & archéologique du Gatinais: Tome 26, pp. 267–269). On ff. 219r–220v is found a genealogy of the family written by a certain André de Brunfay. The earliest date he records is 1530 (the birth of his (presumably) eldest son), and he signs his notes on July 14, 1560 (f. 220v: ‘escript de ma mayn le dymenche xiiii de Juyllet Vc lx’). At least three later hands have added entries for 1562 (the battle of Dreux; f. 219v), 1565 (the siege of Malta; f. 220r), 1598 (f. 219v), 1609 (f. 220r), and 1616 (f. 220v), the latest date entered. There is no mention in the genealogy of a Katherine de Brunfay, but André's son Jacques (mentioned) had a daughter by that name, who married in 1599 (Annales de la Société historique & archéologique du Gatinais: Tome 26, p. 269Note 1.).
An owner's note in an early modern hand on f. 1r states that the book belonged to a ‘mademoyselle de cheurieres’, probably Chevrières. Next to it, an owner's note in a different hand gives the name ‘Marguerit⟨e⟩ de Bielzuiais’, probably Beauvais.
The watermark on SR1, added at rebinding, gives the name ‘Wunnerlich’ (first initial(s) not visible); Piccard online identifies a similar watermark belonging to Johann Albrecht Wunnerlich, active in Hof 1746–1822 (see Piccard online). A line of Wunnerlichs appear as papermakers in Bavaria (Hof/Moschendorf) between 1693 and 1856 (see blogus).
A dedication in Polish on SL2 reveals that the manuscript was given to the countess von Engeström (Rosalie, née Drya-Chlapowska), wife of statesman Lars von Engeström (1751–1826), by Felix Biernacki, a friend of the von Engeström family, with gratitude for meetings in Stockholm and Warsaw.
The signa ‘D. B. IV. 5’ and ‘50’ on LCI have not been identified.
Acquisition
The manuscript was part of the donation to the National Library of Lars von Engeström's personal library made in 1864 by von Engeström's grandson (see SBL).
- Gyllene böcker (1987), p. 57, no. 62.
