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.

This miniature leaf from a Book of Hours includes a hand-painted image of what appears to be the Virgin encircled by the apostles in red, blue, green and burnished gold. On verso is additional hand-written text with several initials also in red, blue and burnished gold. The text is from the Office of the Holy Spirit, and beginning with the large "N" on verso, the text translates in part as:

The grace of the Holy Ghost free unto us befall:
Wherewith was overshadowed the maid of maidens all.
When the angel Gabriel his salutation said,
The Word itself flesh became and virgin fruitful made.
Come O Holy Ghost, replenish the hearts of thy faithful:
and kindle in them the fire of thy love.
Send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created.
And thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

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Condition: B

The leaf has been trimmed on all sides, with partial loss of the image, which is very faded and worn.