Latin Book of Hours, Southern Netherlands, 15th century

Component identifier:

Item 9

Content Summary:

Description: i-ii, 126, iii-iv leaves (vellum); 195 x 140mm. F.72v and f.126v are blank.

Script: English littera gothica textualis formata or possibly Gothic textualis semi-quadrata

Decoration: Decorated with 26 full-page miniatures (96 x 70mm) of good quality. These include Christ with an orb and angels, the Trinity, John the Baptist, St. George and the Dragon, the martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Saint Anne, Mary Magdalene, Saint Catherine, Saint Barbara, the vigil in Gethsemane, and the taking of Christ. There are also miniatures depicting Christ brought before Pilate, the scourging of Christ, the road to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the Descent from the Cross, the Entombment; the Virgin and Child, the Resurrection, with instruments of the Passion, and others. Each miniature is surrounded by broad borders on two sides, and tendrils on the opposite sides, with scrolling stems of flowers and fruit in red, blue, pink and green, heightened with gold (some borders only slightly rubbed). There are diaper backgrounds to some miniatures in red, blue, green and gold checks; nine small miniatures of the Passion; numerous decorated initials, and capitals throughout in red, blue and gold; line fillings similarly decorated and illuminated. Red rubics.

Layout: One column; 22 lines to the page; prickings on outer margins; rulings in red ink throughout.

Binding: Bound in a contemporary blind stamped calf binding; blind ruled and with frame of two lines of stamped scrollwork.

Provenance: In the calendar for January (f.1r) a late 16th or 17th-century English hand has added 'Notalis mei Tho. Babi'. In the calendar for 18 September (f.5r) a 16th century hand has added 'Richard Ravenhill died ora pro[eo]' There are Richard Ravenhill's by 18th century connected to Middleton in Herefordshire and Mathon in Worcestershier. In October (f.5v) the same hand has added 'St Thomas of Hereford'. Therefore, a Herefordshire provenance by 16th- 17th century seems likely. On f.21v in a later hand Ioannis? Salisbury, now erased.

Notes: Saram usage. On the illustration of the Crucifixion (f.65r), the faces of the men nailing Christ to the cross have been erased. The illustration of St Catherine (f.21r), who was the Patron Saint of Child Birth, has evidence of being stroked for good luck and marginalia for this illustration appears to depict 'The Virgin's belt' which is unusual.

The miniature of the martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury on f.16r is intact, indicating this is either a recusant book or post 1539.

On f.126r someone has started to copy out a charter of Henry VIII. It is in a proficient 16th-century hand and gives Henry VIII's titles and says he appends his seal at Westminster, and sends greetings to 'Harford' (possibly Hartford in Cheshire, a person, corruption of Herefordshire or Hertfordshire?), but the text is incomplete and probably a copy from a fuller one, so cannot be determined.

Made for an English patron, as evidenced by the incipit for the Hours of the Virgin 'secundum usum anglorum'(f.24r), the inclusion of devotions popular in England such as the fifteen O's (f.7r-12v) and the inclusion of English saints in both the calendar and the litany.

Gertrude of Nivelles, who appears in the litany (f.79r-85v), was a 7th-century abbess in Belgium connected to Irish mission of St Foilan, brother of St Fursey of Burgh Castle near Norwich and is a patroness of mental illness, travellers, gardeners and widows. Her cult was known in England but perhaps not very widely.

Page layout, script and decoration are all consistent with Flemish productions of the late 15th century.

Reference: Sinclair: No.11 pp. 35-38; Manion Vines: No.54 pp.132-33

Immediate source of acquisition:

The collection was purchased by the National Library of Australia from the estate of the 11th Baron Clifford in November 1963. It reached Canberra in April 1964. The Chertsey Cartulary (item 65), possibly the most important medieval manuscript held in Australia due to the fact that it is one of only three extant from the 14th century and the only one held outside the UK, was received in 1975, following the granting of an export licence by the British Government.

Names:

Clifford, Hugh, Colonel Hon.

Access and use