Book of Hours: MS McClean 94

Titles

Book of Hours

Maker(s)

Artist: Master of Gysbrecht de Brederode

Entities

• Book of hours

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, iv contemporary parchment flyleaves + 230 fols. + ii contemporary parchment flyleaves, 180 x 127 (95 x 59) mm, 20 long lines, ruled in black ink, leaves lost before fols. 51, 103, 191.

BINDING: fifteenth century, blind-stamped brown leather over wooden boards, sewn on six supports, large central panel with Agnus Dei within medallion inscribed SIET.DAT.LAM.GODS.DET.OPBVART.DIE.ZOND, and medallions of eagle and lion rampant, traces of two fastening devices on foredge, edges gilt and gauffered; repaired and rebacked.

CONTENTS: fols. 1r – 12v Calendar ; fols. 14r – 50v Hours of the Virgin; fols. 51r – 73v Hours of the Eternal Wisdom; fols. 75r – 102r Hours of the Holy Spirit
fols. 103r – 127r Hours of the Cross; fols. 129r – 137v Penitential Psalms;
fols. 137v – 148v Litany with collects; fols. 149r – 190r Prayers and Suffrages
fols. 191r – 229v Office of the Dead.

DECORATION: Three full-page framed miniatures with full acanthus borders containing angels, human figures, animals, and hybrids, often related to the main subject-matter: fol. 13v Hours of the Virgin, Matins, Christ displaying wounds, blessing and holding orb; fol. 74v Hours of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost with Virgin reading, in border doctor holding urine flask, Samson and the lion, and two bears; fol. 128v Penitential Psalms, Last Judgment with Virgin and St John the Baptist, Christ with sword and lily, angels blowing trumpets in border.
5 historiated initials with full acanthus borders containing angels, human figures, animals, hybrids, and scenes often related to the main subject-matter: fol. 14r Hours of the Virgin, Matins, [H, 10 ll.] Annunciation, angels playing music in border; fol. 51r Hours of the Eternal Wisdom, [M, 8 ll.] Christ among the Doctors, scholars with books in border; fol. 75r Hours of the Holy Spirit, [H, 8 ll.] St Veronica holding Vernicle; fol. 103r Hours of the Cross, [H, 8 ll.] Man of Sorrows surrounded by Instruments of the Passion, angels holding Instruments of the Passion in border; fol. 129r Penitential Psalms, [H, 7 ll.] David penitent.

ORNAMENTATION: Blue initial [M, 7 ll.] with white acanthus motifs, foliage infill on gold ground, and full spraywork border with acanthus, flowers, stylised birds and gold balls for Office of the Dead (fol. 191r); gold initials [4 ll.] on a blue or pink grounds with white floral designs or blue initials [4 ll.] on gold grounds, with one- or three-sided acanthus borders containing human figures, animals, birds, hybrids, and hunting scenes; blue or pink white-patterned initials [2 ll.] on gold grounds; gold, red or blue penwork initials [2 ll.] with violet, blue or red pen-flourished infill and extensions; alternate red and blue one-line initials; capitals highlighted in red.

Notes

History note: Label with classmark A.IV.99 inside upper cover; Baron Schraut of Leiden; William Bragge (1823 – 1884); his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 7-10 June 1876, lot 472; Howell Wills (inscription inside upper cover); his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 11-17 July 1894, lot 706; Frank McClean (1837 – 1904); his bequest, 1904.