National Library of Sweden, A 233
Book of Hours
Flanders, 16th century, first quarter.
parchment
i, 110 leaves
100 × 70 mm
Latin
Support
Foliation
Collation
Condition
Textblock
Parchment dirty and stained in places, does not affect legibility.Layout
Script
Textblock
Hand 1
Gothic hybrida.Additions
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in dark brown ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in yellow. For a detailed discussion of the illustrations see Rudy (2000)and Lindqvist Sandgren (Web resource).
12 full-page miniatures, most of them matched with a facing page large decorated initial that opens the relevant section. (ff. 1v–2r): The manuscript opens with an inserted bifolium with a portrait of a female owner facing St Mary of Egypt. The male owner appears five times (listed below), often accompanied by John the Baptist. Both these saints are significant for pilgrimages and the Holy Land. The male owner is potrayed as watching the facing illustaration, e.g. (f. 52r), or watching from the margin, e.g. (f. 98r). (f. 52), an inserted leaf, has a full-page illustration on both recto and verso. The miniatures are composed as a frame in frame, with an outer decorative border and an inner frame usually shaped as a window or portal. 6 of the borders feature realistically painted flowers and different animals placed on a yellow background, e.g. (f. 15v). 5 borders, all featuring the male owner, make use of architectural motifs, e.g. (f. 98r). The border on (f. 52v) functions as an extension of the main image. The motifs consist of key scenes associated with the relevant chapter with characters realistically portrayed in contemporary clothing and backgrounds often featuring castles or other buildings. The motifs are: (f. 1v): Mary of Egypt surrounded by five red angels. (f. 2r): owner portrait, praying woman, bust in half-profile. (f. 15v): Annunciation (Hours of the Virgin); (f. 51v): Crucifixion (Seven penitential psalms); (f. 52r): owner portrait and John the Baptist (Seven penitential psalms); (f. 52v): Last Judgement (Seven penitential psalms); (f. 66r): Raising of Lazarus (Office for the dead); (f. 81v): Resurrection; owner portrait with family (Prayers for visiting holy places in Jerusalem); (f. 91v): Nativity (Prayers for visiting holy places in Betlehem); (f. 98r): the Betrayal, owner portrait and John the Baptist (Hours of the Holy Cross); (f. 98v): Pietà; owner portrait and John the Baptist (Hours of the Holy Cross); (f. 102v): Pentecost; owner portrait (Hours of the Holy Spirit). In addition, there are two half-page grisailles. (f. 82r): different scenes from the life of Christ; (f. 92r): prefigurations.
(ff. 16r–103r): decorated initials over 5 lines with a vegetative/leaf-like shape with yellow-brown colour tones. They are placed on a background of alternating red or and blue. The initials and the following text are surrounded by frames that usually match that of the facing page illustration. (ff. 23v–47v): the manuscript also contains 7 historiated intials over 6 lines. The letter shapes are similar to the initials above. These intials are found in Hours of the virgin and open the different hours. The motifs are: (f. 23v): Visitation; (f. 33r): Nativity; (f. 36r): Annunciation to the Shepherds; (f. 38v): Adoration of the Magi; (f. 41r): Presentation in the Temple; (f. 43v): Flight into Egypt; (f. 47v): Slaughter of the Innocents. (ff. 16r–107r): paragraphs introduced by dentelle initials over 2 lines in gold paint on a square background of blue or red. Same style inital over 1 line also used for sentences. The intials sometimes have painted highlights or flourishing.
Binding
Medieval or early modern binding. Brown leather over wooden boards. 3 double raised bands and endbands. Hooked clasp. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘A 233’.
Blind tooled decoration consisting of sets of panels. Additional motives difficult to discern because of the worn leather.
The Clasp contains a small sculpted skull, probably made from bone.
Origin
Flanders , 16th century, first quarter. The origin is based on the saints mentioned in the calendar, several of which might indicate the Ghent-Bruges area as the place of origin. The manuscript seems to have been made for a man going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There are two groups of prayers included for this special occasion (ff. 82–91, ff. 92–96). There are also several portraits of what is believed to be the man who commissioned the manuscript and possibly his wife or a later owner (see Decoration).
Provenance
Provenance unknown.
Acquisition
The manuscript might possibly be the ‘psalterium’ donated by Anna Catharina Lindegren in 1768, as mentioned by Gjörwell (1768).
- Gyllene böcker (1952), p. 82, no. 167.
- Illuminated manuscripts (1963), p. 15.
- Rudy (2000).