Hours: MS McClean 72

Titles

Hours

Maker(s)

Artist: Master of Isabella di Chiaromonte

Entities

• Book of hours
• Use of Rome

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, ii parchment flyleaves + 130 fols. + ii parchment flyleaves, 138 x 103 mm (92 x 62 mm), 17 long lines, ruled in plummet, catchwords, leaves lost between fols. 31–32, 36–37, 46–47, 76–77, 109–110, 129–130

BINDING: Nineteenth century, brown gold-tooled leather over wooden boards with decorative recesses, edges stained red with gold crosses.

CONTENTS:
fols. 1r–12v Calendar
fols. 13r–60v Hours of the Virgin
fols. 62r–76v Penitential Psalms and Litany
fols. 77r–78r Short Hours of the Cross
fols. 79r–107v Office of the Dead
fols. 107v–109r Ps. 24, Ad te domine levavi (later addition)
fol. 109r Prayer Gratias tibi ago domine qui me dignatus es custodire in hac nocte
fols. 110r–112v Suffrages of the Virgin, the Archangel Michael and Saints George, James and Leonard
fols. 113r–116r Prayer Juste iudex Ihesu Christe and Prayer of St Bede, Domine Ihesu Christe qui septem verba
fols. 116r–118v Prayer Obsecro te
fols. 118v-123v Prayers Interveniat pro nobis, Dulcissime Domine Ihesu Christe, and Confitemini domino quoniam bonus
fols. 123v–124r Prayer rubricated O clavis David, inc. Festina ne tardaveris
fols. 124r–125r Prayer rubricated Oratio domini ad chananeam, inc. Fiat tibi sicut credidisti , followed by a prayer rubricated Pro iudicio, inc. Terra terra accusa terram), three prayers rubricated Pro inimicis and addressed to Archangels Raphael, Michael and Gabriel, and two prayers rubricated Pro adversitate, inc. O sancte Tobiel et Barachiel and O sancte Iohel et Raguel
fols. 125v–126r Prayer of St Augustine, Deus propicius esto
fols. 126v–127v Prayer Domine Iesu Christi redemptor mundi
fol. 128r–128v Prayer Imperatrix reginarum
fol. 129r–129v Prayer Salve mater salvatoris
fol. 130r Suffrage of St Leonard

DECORATION: Two full-page framed miniatures with full floral borders containing gold bars and spraywork terminating in gold leaves and balls: fol. 110v Suffrage of St Michael, St Michael spearing the devil and weighing two souls in scales; fol. 111v Suffrage of St George, St George spearing the dragon.

Six half-page framed miniatures with gold and blue bars framing text space and full floral borders containing animals, birds, gold interlaced corner-pieces and spraywork terminating in gold leaves and balls: fol. 13r Hours of the Virgin, Matins, Annunciation, with angel (trimmed) in upper border and shield of arms (or a bend dexter engrailed azure) supported by two putti in lower border; fol. 34v Terce, Annunciation to the Shepherds, with stag in lower border; fol. 39r None, Presentation in the Temple, with Sacred Monogram on altar and lion catching a hare in lower border; fol. 42r Vespers, Fight into Egypt, with palm tree bowing before Christ and putto riding a peacock in lower border; fol. 62r Penitential Psalms, David penitent in wilderness before God who appears with open book within a seraphim-lined mandorla, with angel (trimmed) in upper border; fol. 79r Office of the Dead, Funeral service.

ORNAMENTATION: Gold initials [3 ll.] on dark pink and blue grounds with white foliate motifs for main text divisions; alternate blue and gold initials [1–2 ll.] with red or violet pen-flourished infill and extensions.

Notes

History note: Unidentified shield of arms, or a bend dexter engrailed azure (fol. 13r); the initial of the intended recipient’s name is given in the Obsecro te prayer, indigno famulo tuo B. (fol. 117v); Frank McClean (1837–1904); his bequest, 1904.