Manuscript on parchment (very stiff) of a Book of Hours; With Calendar in French
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in liturgical gothic verging on batarde, by one scribe., Crude miniatures by two artists whose compositions, figure types, and painterly technique reflect faintly the work of Jean Colombe, active in Bourges in the late fifteenth century. The miniatures by the first artist (all except ff. 74r and 138r) are in arched frames, in purple or crimson ink, occasionally with black cusping on the arch, tangential or close to upper bounding line, set within a 3/4 strip, either beige with alternating blue and pink flowers and black flecks, edged in black, or gold with blue and red trilobe leaves., Traced full or 3/4 borders, one (f. 25r) compartmentalized in gold and blue, with an angel bearing the arms of the Coquille family (azure, 3 escallops or [Coquille], impaled with ermine [Garnier]), red bounding line, filled with blue and green acanthus, flowers, strawberries, grotesques, gold balls, and pen flecks. Initials accompanying miniatures, 4- and 3-line, pink and blue with white highlights on gold, filled with a flower on a beige ground. The miniatures by the second artist (ff. 74r and 138r), probably an assistant to the first, are in thick crimson frames, with 3/4 borders as above, except with finer and stiffer acanthus, each with an initial, 4- or 3-line, gold on blue and crimson with white highlights. Calendar with zodiac signs and occupations of the months set within 3/4 borders, as above. 2-line initials, KL monograms, as above; name of month, dates, major feasts in gold, other feasts alternately in blue and red. Rubrics in crimson or in blue., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Tan calf case, heavily gold-tooled spine and doublures. Bound by C. Lewis (leading figure in English binding 1800-40). Dark red-brown cover (16th-17th centuries) inset on sides.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
In Latin and French., Script: Written by a single scribe in Gothica Cursiva Formata (Bastarda) in two sizes. The ascenders on the top line often have calligraphic extensions., Red headings. Heightening of the majuscules in yellow. All initials (1- or 2-lines) are on a rectangular background and are executed in paint and liquid gold. At the opening of the various Hours there are 4-line initials of the same type, always accompanied by full acanthus borders and an arch-topped miniature. The borders are framed in gold and may also contain leaves, flowers, fruit, birds., and Binding: Modern limp vellum with two pairs of white leather ties. The preceding 19th-century binding is preserved: dark brown leather over cardboard, both covers framed with blind-tooled fillets; spine with four raised bands and gold-tooled title: "HEURES DE SENLIS"; gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
In Latin., Written in round gothic script, by one scribe., Twelve full-page miniatures on the verso of tipped-in leaves (blank on recto), rather routine and careless. Each miniature facing a 6-line initial, black, with white highlights, on a gold ground, filled with blue and black trilobe leaves. Ten historiated initials, in the same style as the illuminated ones, illustrating the suffrages. Each initial with a border, as above. 2-line initials, gold on red and blue grounds with white highlights; some (on rectos) with black ink hair-spray with blue and gold flowers. 1-line initials, blue, with red penwork or gold, with black penwork. Rubrication for headings and to mark antiphons, verses etc.; also for dates and major feasts in calendar., and Binding: Sixteenth century. The backs of the quires are cut in on either side of the sewing supports and at the kettle stitches. Original sewing on five supports attached to wooden boards. Edges gilt and gauffered. Covered in dark brown calf with a panel stamp of two sets of horizontal inhabited vines within text borders, divided by a line of fleurs-de-lis and flowers in diamonds. The four panels are enclosed by the inscription: "Ora pro nobis sancta dei genitrix ut digni efficiamur promissione Christi". Spine lining, endbands and silver (?) clasps and catches added when the book was rebacked. One joint cracked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of a Book of Hours, with Calendar and prayers in Flemish
Description:
In Latin and Flemish., Script: Written in liturgical gothic bookhand by one scribe., Three full-page miniatures of mediocre quality. Each miniature set in a narrow frame of gold, black, pink, and white; full border of blue and gold acanthus leaves, red, pink, and blue flowers and strawberries, and black pen flecks. One 7-line historiated initial on f. 216r (Flemish Prayers): Pieta, pink with white highlights on gold; full border as above; text separated from border by a narrow band attached to initial of gold and pink, edged in black. Illuminated 5-line initials with full borders (eg. ff. 13r, 18r, 28r), pink or blue with white highlights on gold, filled with blue or pink trilobe leaves. 2-line initials, gold on pink and blue with white highlights, one on f. 92r (Advent Office) with a band attached, as above, and small sections of border, as above; one 3-line initial on f. 179r (Obsecro te) in similar manner. 1-line initials, blue with red penwork and gold with black penwork; initials within text washed in yellow. KL monograms as 2-line initials; Latin names of months and important feasts in red. Line fillers: oblique lines with dots attached, stylized plant motifs, dots, etc., in blue or gold. Rubrics in faded red., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown, originally black, sheepskin; stamped in gold on the spine: "Psaterium." Red edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of a Book of Hours with prayers in Dutch. The manuscript is misbound
Description:
In Dutch and Latin., Script: Written in liturgical gothic bookhand by a single scribe. 3-, 2-, and 1-line initials with very fine penwork: gold with dark blue penwork or blue with red penwork. 1-line initials within the text black with one or two red strokes. Line fillers: blue cables. Rubrics in orange-tinted red., Water damage on ff. 8v, 38v and 39v has obliterated some initials; the text is still legible., and Binding: Date? Bookblock tacked to a vellum folder. The light rectangular patch on the front cover, lower left, was probably left by the removal of a shelf tag.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (ff. 56v-57r palimpsest?) of a Psalter; with Hours of the Virgin, use unidentified
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in well formed late caroline minuscule, above the top line. Marginal notes, some with neumes above them (e.g. ff. 63v, 65r), in several later hands have been partially lost due to trimming., Initials for text divisions, 11-line (f. 115r: Ps. 101) and 7-line (f. 22r: Ps. 26, f. 40r: Ps. 38, f. 93r: Ps. 80, f. 112v: Ps. 97, f. 133r: Ps. 109), gold, with symmetrical gold tendril ornament, occasionally with dragon-head terminals, against green and mauve panelled grounds covered with dense red cross-hatching set in red and mauve frames. 7- to 2-line initials for other Psalms, red or green with red and/or green flourishes. 1-line initials for verses, alternating red and green. Headings in red and/or green throughout., and Binding: Sixteenth century. Resewn on four tawed, slit straps. Wooden boards chamfered and indented. Edges gilt. The spine is square and now lined with cloth. Covered in dark brown calf, blind-stamped with portraits of saints (one of whom may be Rochus) and fleurons in concentric panels (?); very little of the earlier cover remaining. Clasp-and-catch fastening, the catch on the upper board, the brown leather straps attached through metal plates to the lower. Rebacked with one half of the leather on the boards replaced with old leather from another book. Catches and clasps wanting. Upper sewing supports broken.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
