This leaf is from the brief transitional period when the new technology of printing with movable type was combined with the more labor intensive methods of hand painting. The earliest printers were trained in the manuscript tradition and incorporated the conventions of historiated initials and illustrations into their early work. At first they left those spaces blank for the illuminator to complete entirely by hand. Later they developed printing methods (using woodcuts or iron engravings) to decorate the leaves.

Unusual leaf printed in Gothic textura type with illuminated capitals in red and blue. The text is surrounded by elaborate iron engravings that include several interesting mythical figures. These leaves are from the transitional period when the new technology of printing with movable type was combined with the more labor intensive methods of hand painting. Printed Book of Hours leaves are very scarce, as they were only produced between 1496 and 1530. Although the main text on this leaf is in Latin, it includes four engravings with French captions from the story of Tobit (Tobias), including giving Gabelus money, King Sennacherib persecuting the children of Israel, and Tobias tending to the dead.

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Condition: A

Marginal foxing.