Book of Hours were prayer books designed for the laity, but modeled on the Divine Office, a cycle of daily devotions, prayers and readings, performed by members of religious orders and the clergy. Its central text is the Hours of the Virgin. There are eight hours (times for prayer ): Matins, Lauds. Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. During the Middle Ages, the leaves making up a Book of Hours were written by hand on expensive parchment and beautifully illuminated with jewel-like pigments and gold leaf. These illuminated manuscripts combined the collaborative efforts of an array of highly skilled craftspeople; requiring the joint labors of the parchmenter, professional scribes to write the text in Gothic script, artists to illuminate the pages with decorations, and masterful binders to complete the process.

A nice leaf from a Book of Hours printed on vellum by Gilles Hardouin for Germain Hardouyn in Paris around 1510. All initials are highlighted by hand in red, blue and liquid gold. The text from the Hours of the Virgin, Matins, the Psalms 148, 149, 150; one verse from the Canticle of Canticles and the first verses of the Canticle of Zachary.

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Condition: A+