Medieval Book of Hours Leaf

This is an original leaf from a medieval manuscript Book of Hours. 20 lines of ruled gothic textura script, written in Dutch with dark brown ink, on very thin animal vellum. Rubrics (headings) and versal initials in red. One two-line initial in blue; ten one-line initials alternating in gold and blue. Books of Hours are personal prayer books of a devout and status-conscious society and are not only works of art, but cultural documents of their time. They reveal a unique combination of sacred and secular imagery-made of the finest materials, by the best craftsmen, for a small audience that could both appreciate and afford them.

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