Book of Hours: MS 138

Titles

Book of Hours

Maker(s)

Author: Grote, Geert
Artist: Master of Herman Droem (attributed)

Entities

• Book of hours

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, ii paper flyleaves + i contemporary parchment flyleaf + 207 fols. + i contemporary parchment flyleaf + ii paper flyleaves, 174 x 120 (95 x 60) mm, 20 long lines, ruled in purple ink, catchwords, leaves lost before fols. 67 and 139

BINDING: 18th century, gold-tooled brown leather over pasteboards

CONTENTS: fols. 1r – 12v Calendar; fols. 14r – 45v Hours of the Virgin;
fols. 47r – 66v Hours of the Eternal Wisdom; fols. 67r – 88v Hours of the Cross;
fols. 90r – 113v Hours of the Holy Spirit; fols. 115r – 138v Hours of All Saints
fols. 139r – 157v Penitential Psalms and Litany; fols. 159r – 174v Prayers at Mass; fols. 176r – 207v Office of the Dead

DECORATION: Six full-page miniatures in architectural frames with three-sided acanthus and floral borders on plain parchment including half-length angels, animals, birds, and dragons often emerging from conch shells, at major text divisions: fol. 13v Hours of the Virgin, Annunciation; fol. 46v Hours of the Eternal Wisdom, Christ among the Doctors; fol. 89v Hours of the Holy Ghost, Pentecost; fol. 114v Hours of All Saints, Group of saints with Holy Trinity above; fol. 158v Prayers at Mass, Last Supper; fol. 175v Office of the Dead, St Michael weighing souls on scales.

ORNAMENTATION: Blue or pink initials [10 ll.] with acanthus ornament, foliage infill on gold grounds, and full acanthus and floral borders identical with those surrounding the miniatures at major text divisions; blue, pink or grey white-patterned initials [4 ll.] with foliage or fruit infill on gold grounds and one-sided acanthus and floral borders containing animals, birds or hybrids, and a Pelican in her piety (fol. 130v); alternate blue and red penwork initials [2 ll.] with red, pink or blue pen-flourished infill and extensions; alternate red and blue one-line initials; capitals highlighted in red.

Notes

History note: Richard, seventh viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion (1745 – 1816), acquired in 1809; his bequest, 1816