24th ILAB International Antiquarian Book Fair - Vereinigung der ...

Book of hours, use of Roman Church. [Illuminated
manuscript on vellum, written in Latin.
France (Piccardy), about 1470]. [bound with:]
Devotional manuscript. [Illuminated manuscript
on vellum, written in Dutch. Netherlands,
about 1470–75]. 2 manuscripts bound together
in 4to (193 × 130 mm), 19th century full brown
calf binding, blind tooled border rules at plates,
four raised bands spine, many bookmarks in
white silk and colored beads, ff. [96] = 192 pages
for the first manuscript and ff. [46] = 92 pages
for the second manuscript. CHF 57 649.–
Gothic type, 17 lines in black and sepia ink, rubrics
in red, blue and gold or blue and gold, many rich
pink marginal extensions. Red and blue line fillers.
– Six full-page miniatures, inserted in a rich foliate
border, each faced by an illuminated frame containing
the text; ten smaller miniatures along the
text; seven large illuminated initials in red, blue and
gold. One full page miniature representing a nail
from the Holy Cross and the shape of the wound
at Christ chest. – Full page miniatures: 1. Crucifixion
with the Virgin and Saint John beside the
Holy Cross, f. 7v; 2. Whitsunday, f. 10v; 3. Virgin
and Child with Angels, f. 13v; 4. Annunciation, f.
28v; 5. Judgment Day, f. 69; 6. Nail from the Holy
Cross and chest wound of Christ, f. 128. – Smaller
miniature along the text: 1. Pietà, c. 23; 2. Virgin
with Child and Saint John Evangelist, f. 26; 3. Saint
Michael, f. 65; 4. Saint John Baptist, f. 65v; 5. Saint
Nicholas, f. 66; 6. Saint Lawrence, f. 66v; 7. Saint
Barbara, f. 67; 8. Saint Catherine, f. 67v; 9. Saint
Margaret, f. 68; 10. Mary Magdalen, f. 68v. – Origin:
The names of Saints on the Calendar and in
the Litanies and the style of miniatures suggest a
provenance from Piccardy; the indication for the
illuminator still visible at leaf 10v suggests that the
manuscript written in Piccardy has been sent to
Brouge for the illuminations. – The miniatures
are the work of two different illuminators: the
first, influenced by Loyset Liedet, is the author of
miniatures with text on the front (ff.10v, 13v, 28v
and 83v); the second, connectable to the group of
followers of Willem Vrelant, is the author of the two
other large miniatures (f.7v and c. 89v) and of the
smaller miniatures along the text. – Regarding the
second manuscript, the elements of nail and of the
wound, that indicate a devotion based on physical
reality of the suffering of Christ, are represented
in an hypothetical 1:1 scale, as specified in the
text that describes the illuminations; this graphic
feature is quite common for the iconography of the
wound more unusual for the nail. – Provenance:
I. The repeated and unusual entry in the calendar
«De sancti monaci et heremiti» and the prayers to
the Virgin in masculine gender suggest that the first
owner of this precious book could be an important
Abbot of the area of Bruges. II. At front inside cover,
ex-libris of Six van Hillegom, famous bibliophile
member of a noble Flemish family, well known for
its patronage in fine art since Rembrandt’s time. III.
Auction Frederick Muller, Amsterdam, 18 October,
1928, lot 202. IV. Sotheby’s, 18 July 1991, lot 139.
Bibliopathos 15