BOOK OF HOURS FOR THE USE OF ROME AND THE ABBEY... Lot 27

BOOK OF HOURS FOR THE USE OF ROME AND THE ABBEY OF MARCHIENNES Bruges-Ghent (Valencienne?), around 1500. In Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment 285 ff. (4 ff. missing); 107 x 70 mm (52 x 36 mm); on parchment; 13 long lines in carbon, red, blue, and gold ink; rules in brown ink; modern foliation in pencil; textualis formata ; 4 full-page miniatures, 28 vignettes with richly painted ganto-bruised frames with motifs of flowers, leaves, insects and small animals, blue painted champie initials on gilt background, gilt filigree on red background, white or gilt initials sometimes shaded painted on three or one line on gilt, red or blue background, red or blue headings (112 x 80 mm); conservation case. Superb small mosaic binding pastiche of the Renaissance, full morocco, long spine mosaiced in black and lemon with interlacing patterns with the title in the center, boards decorated with interlacing patterns mosaiced in black and lemon, double fillet on the edges, gilt edges, counterplates decorated with a midnight blue morocco plate with a semi fleurdelisé and a framing with interlacing (binding signed L. Claessens) Magnificent little book of hours from the entourage of Simon Marmion with the arms of the Farvacques family and a calendar similar to that of the abbey of Marchiennes. TEXT List of texts in Latin : - f.1r-12v : Calendar close to the use of Marchiennes : (7 Feb.) in blue letters : "Elevatio s. Rict[rudis] " - Feb. 17 : "Silvini ep. - March 16 : Eusebi virginis - March 21 : "Benedicti ab" - April 8 : "Transl. s. Yonat " - July 18 in blue letters : "Benedicti abb. - 31 Jul. July 31: "Germani ep. - August 1 in blue letters : "Ad vincula petri. - Sept. 5: "Bertini abbis. - Oct. 9: "Dyonisii epi. - Oct. 21: "xi. virginum" - Dec. 6 in blue letters: "Nicholay ep. - (13 Dec.) " Lucie virginis " (See Leroquais, Psalters, I, p.185-186 : Douai, ms 172). - f.13r-21: Hours of the Cross. - f.23-29v [1st f. mqt.]: Hours of the Holy Spirit: First leaf missing. Begins at the end of Matins with the antiphon: "[Veni sancte spiritus reple tuorum corda fidelium et tui] amoris meis ignem accende ". - f.30-37v : "Missa de sancta Maria", inc. "Et introibo ad altare dei... ". - f.38r-44v [1st f. mqt.] : Gospel pericopes. First leaf missing. Begins in the middle of St. John "[Erat lux vera, qui illumi]nat omnem hominem, venientem in hoc mundum" - f.45r- [1st f. mqt.]: Latin prayers. First leaf missing. Begins "[...] ergo me queritis finite - f.48 : Octo versiculi sancti Bernardi - Several prayers to the Virgin : inc. "Mater digna dei... " . - f. 53v : Suffrages : Bernard, John the Baptist, Sebastian, Anthony, Christopher, Nicholas, Francis, the three kings. - f.63r-68v : Obsecro te - f.69-73r : O interemata - f.74r-78v : Suffrages : Michel, André, Catherine, Marguerite. - 80r- : Hours of the Virgin according to the usage of Rome : 80r-107r: Matins ; 107v124v : Lauds, 125r-131v. Primes (antiphon "Assumpta es", capitula "Que est ista"); 132r- :Tierce; 132r-138v : Sexte; 139r-150v : None (antiphon "Pulchra es" and capitula "In plateis sicut"); 151r-160v [1st f. mqt.] : Vespers; 161r-169v : Complines. - 171r-187r: Penitential Psalms - 187v-194v: Litanies and petitions - 195r-198v: Latin prayers - 200r-269v: Office of the Dead according to the usage of Rome (according to Knud Ottosen, order of the answers: 14, 72, 24, 46, 32, 57, 68, 28, 40) - f.270-285: Oraisons in Latin: "inc. Dulcissime Ihesu Christ verus deus..."; f.275v: Canticum Athanasium ICONOGRAPHY The style of the miniatures and especially of the frames suggest a joint work of two distinct artists, one for the miniatures and the other for the frames, active in Ghent or Bruges around 1500. Their work suggests artists in the circle of Simon Marmion or the Master of Fitzwiliam 268 (see the Salting Hours or Paris, BnF, NAL 3214). Without being by their hands, because the miniatures do not reflect the workmanship of the artists, this manuscript is possibly the work of one of their workshop or of their entourage in Hainaut (such as the Master of Antoine Rolin or Michel Clauwet). It is curious to note that Simon Marmion, active in Valencienne during the period, is not far from the abbey of Marchiennes whose use is found in the calendar. We can also note that the family whose arms have been identified, was originally from the city of Tournai, a city close to the abbey and to Valencienne. 4 full-page miniatures: - f.22v: Pentecost (Hours of the Holy Spirit) - f.76v: Saint Andrew with unidentified arms (Suffrages) - f.170v: Last Judgment (Penitential Psalms) - f.199r: Funeral Office (Office of the Dead) It is likely that the manuscript initially had a miniature of the Crucifixion (for the hours of the Cross) and perhaps also to introduce the hours of the Virgin (or even the whole cycle of the Cross).