Leaf from the Book of Hours, No. 31
Date: mid 15th century
Dimensions:
Overall: 5 1/8 x 7 3/8 in. (13 x 18.7 cm)
Medium: Vellum
Place of Origin: France
Classification: Manuscripts
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1953.129EE
Label Text:In the late fifteenth century, devout and wealthy laymen had a wide selection of Books of Hours from which to choose, both manuscript volumes and printed texts. These were often sold, in large cities, in book stalls set up near the main entrance to the cathedral. The first printed Book of Hours appeared in 1486. The decorations in these printed books were frequently colored and embellished by hand and thus created strong competition for the more costly manuscript copies. Customers who preferred the manuscript format had a choice of the types of decoration and could stipulate the quantity of miniatures desired. As this leaf shows, the ivy spray, springing from the initial letter, was elaborated to incorporate flowers and a variety of other types of foliage.
DescriptionLatin text; Angular Gothic script
Not on view