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 lovely vellum leaf was written in Normandy, around 1450 and was owned by Seigneur Richard du Mesnildot, Provost Royal of Coutances, in 1489. This text is from the Hours of the Virgin, the most important part of a Book of Hours. The text begins with Psalm 99 and then continues with Psalm 62. It is written in brown-black ink in a Gothic bookhand with many initials in red, blue, white and gold leaf. Each side also includes a large initial illuminated with delicate flowers in the margin.

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Condition: B

Moderate mildew staining, mostly in margins.