Walters Ms. W.182, Prayer book

W.182

Prayer book

Prayer book

This pocket-size prayer book was written in Dutch on fine parchment ca. 1470. The calendar is for the use of Utrecht, which helps localize its original ownership. It is notable for its thirteen full-page illuminations and seven small miniatures for the suffrages, by artists close to the Utrecht school. This manuscript has been grouped with many related works, including Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale 10761, Oxford, Bodleian Library Ms. Douce 30, Utrecht, Aartsbisshoppelijk Museum Ms. 20, the so-called Harberton-Wodhull Hours, private collection, The Hague, Koninklijke Bibliotheek Ms. 131 G8, and Ms. 76 F31.

Third quarter of the 15th century (ca. 1470) CE

Utrecht, Netherlands

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Dutch; Flemish. The secondary languages of this manuscript are German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500), Latin.

Parchment

Very thin parchment; folios for illuminations more finely finished, light cream, well surfaced on both sides

Foliation: i+119+i

Foliation in pencil, bottom right corners, rectos; numbered 1-116, with fols. 46, 56, 105 each occurring twice; * indicates the second page in repeated foliation

Formula: 1(8,-1), 2(8), 3(10,-5), 4(2), 5(12,-3,-8), 6(14,-6,-10,-14), 7(8), 8(12,-10), 9(8,-6), 10(10,-7,-10), 11(10,-10), 12(8), 13(6), 14(10), 15(6,-6)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: None

Comments: Quires begin on fols. 1(1), 8(2), 16(3), 25(4), 27(5), 37(6), 47(7), 55(8), 65(9), 72(10), 80(11), 89(12), 97(13), 103(14), 112(15); most miniatures pasted into quires, though 2 form part of quire structure

8.3 cm wide by 11.2 cm high

4.0 cm wide by 4.5 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 12
3. Ruled in brown ink; layout does not apply to calendar: 7.8 cm x 4.2 cm (written surface), 1 column, 32 lines

fols. 1r - 116v:

1. Title: Prayer book
2. Hand note: Hybrida; different hand and script fols. 110v-113v; see part for details
3. Decoration note: Thirteen full-page miniatures inserted as singletons, each with foliate margins on three sides and facing opening pages of text with matching foliate margins; incipits have large initials with many colors against gold and rose grounds (5 to 7 lines); birds, hybrid animals, and nude figures interspersed in foliage; seven small suffrage miniatures (8 lines); smaller initials in gold against rose grounds (3 lines) marking secondary text divisions; versals in alternating gold and blue (1 line); rubrics and major feast days in red; text in dark brown ink

fols. 1r - 6v:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Incipit: Januarius
3. Contents: Calendar for use of Utrecht; half-full, graded in red and dark brown; notable saints: Thimon diakon (Apr. 19), Floris ridder (Apr. 30), Barbaren (July 8), Margriet (July 13), Jeroen (Aug. 17), Birgitta (Oct. 7), Loy biscop (Dec. 1)

fols. 7r - 19v:

1. Title: Short Hours of the Cross
2. Rubric: Die corte cruus ghetide, metten.
3. Incipit: O here du salste opdoen
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 7v facing page of text with matching foliate margins with animals

fols. 20r - 24v:

1. Title: Seven orations of St. Gregory
2. Incipit: O here Ihesu Criste ick anbede
3. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 20v facing page of text with matching foliate margins with animals

fols. 25r - 26v:

1. Title: Antiphon to the Holy Spirit
2. Rubric: Veni Sancte Spiritus. Antyffen.
3. Incipit: Com hillighe geest veroullet die herten
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 25v facing page of text with matching foliate margins

fols. 27r - 29r:

1. Title: Prayer: On the Transfiguration
2. Incipit: O systu leue ihesu crist
3. Decoration note: Large decorated initial with foliate margin, fol. 27r

fols. 29v - 46*v:

1. Title: Prayers and hymns to the Virgin
2. Rubric: (fol. 29v) Desse naghescreven seven vroude heft (3 lines erased) dat hi se darmede solde eren, wente dit syn de vroude die Maria im heft inden hemelen. De les gerne alle dage op dattu (erasure) mit Marien mogest (erasure); (fol. 35r) Een ynnich gebet van onser leven vrouwen; (fol. 36v) Een schone gebet van onser lever vrouwen; (fol. 39r) Salve regina misericordie; (fol. 42r) O flos florum; (fol. 45r) Alma redemptoris mater; (fol. 46r) Recordare virgo mater; (fol. 46*r) Ave regina celorum
3. Incipit: (fol. 31r) Uer vrouwe di Maria du eddele vrucht...; (fol. 35r) Ghegruet systu iunckfrouwe der hemelen...; (fol. 38r) Ick bidde di uit frouwe Maria godes moeder...; (fol. 39r) Gegruet systu koningynne...; (fol. 42r) O du bloeme aller bloemen...; (fol. 45r) O Maria koniginne des ewigen trones...; (fol. 46r) Ghedencke Maria, weerdige moeder...; (fol. 46*r) Weest gegroet koninginne der hemelen
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniatures facing page of text with matching foliate margins with animals, fols. 30v, 34v, 37v, 41v, 44v

fols. 47r - 66v:

1. Title: Suffrages
2. Rubric: Een ynnich gebet van sinte Anna.
3. Incipit: Ghegruet systu hillige vrouwe sunte Anna
4. Contents: Fols. 47r-51r: suffrages for Anne; fols. 51r-52v: a guardian angel; fols. 53r-v: Matthias; fols. 54v-56r: the Three Magi; fols. 56*v-58v: George; fols. 58v-62v: Jerome; fols. 63r-64v: Anthony; fols. 65r-v: Catherine; fols. 66r-v: Barbara
5. Decoration note: Full page miniatures, fols. 54v, 56*v facing page of text with matching foliate margins with animals; eight-line miniatures accompany text for each suffrage, fols. 47r, 51v, 53r, 59r, 63r, 65r, and 66r

fols. 67r - 74r:

1. Title: Prayer for the Dead
2. Rubric: Hier volgen vii gebeden vanden gulden zelen unde waer so daer staet daer machstu nomen alle cristen zelen. Este voer welike zelen du biddest de nome dar
3. Incipit: Here Ihesu Criste du die woldest
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature, fol. 67v facing page of text with matching foliate margins

fols. 74v - 79v:

1. Title: Five prayers of St. Francis
2. Rubric: Dit sijn sunte Franciscus gebedekens. Pater noster ave Maria.
3. Incipit: O here vaderlike coninc hier
4. Contents: Rubric in Dutch and Latin, fol. 74v
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature, fol. 75v facing page of text with matching foliate margins with animals

fols. 80r - 110r:

1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms, litany, and collects
2. Rubric: (fol. 81r) Dit sijn die seuen psalmen; (fol. 98r) Die letanien.
3. Incipit: Here in dijnre verbolgenheit en straffe
4. Contents: Fols. 81r-98r: Seven Penitential Psalms; fols. 99r-105r: litanies; fols. 105v-110r: two collects
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature, fol. 80v facing page of text with matching foliate margins

fols. 110v - 116v:

1. Title: Five questions about the Eucharist
2. Incipit: Eyn frag warümb man das heylig Sacrament empfaet
3. Contents: Fols. 110v-113v: text in German added in sixteenth century; fols. 114r-116v: blank, ruled
4. Hand note: Cursive bookhand text added by second hand in sixteenth century

fol. 7v:

1. 
2. Title: Crucifixion
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Short Hours of the Cross

fol. 20v:

1. 
2. Title: Mass of St. Gregory
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Seven orations of St. Gregory

fol. 25v:

1. 
2. Title: Pentecost
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Antiphon to the Holy Spirit

fol. 30v:

1. 
2. Title: Coronation of the Virgin by the Trinity
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayers and hymns to the Virgin: Seven Joys of the Virgin

fol. 34v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayers and hymns to the Virgin: prayer to Mary

fol. 37v:

1. 
2. Title: Lactation of St. Bernard
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayers and hymns to the Virgin: Obsecro te

fol. 41v:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation in the temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayers and hymns to the Virgin: prayer to Mary

fol. 47r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Anne, the Virgin and Child
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Anne

fol. 51v:

1. 
2. Title: Angel
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: guardian angel

fol. 53r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Matthias
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Matthias

fol. 54v:

1. 
2. Title: Adoration of the Magi
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Suffrages: the Three Magi

fol. 56*v:

1. 
2. Title: St. George battling the dragon
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Suffrages: St. George

fol. 59r:

1. 
2. Title: Penitence of St. Jerome
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Jerome

fol. 63r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Anthony Abbot
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Anthony Abbot

fol. 65r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Catherine of Alexandria
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Catherine of Alexandria

fol. 66r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Barbara
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Barbara

fol. 67v:

1. 
2. Title: Office of the Dead
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayer for the Dead

fol. 75v:

1. 
2. Title: Last Judgment
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayers of St. Francis

fol. 80v:

1. 
2. Title: David praying
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Seven Penitential Psalms

The binding is not original.

Rebound by Léon Gruel and Robert Engelmann, France, late nineteenth or early twentieth century, dark crimson velvet; fols. 1-6 and fols. 107-116 are affected by rust deposits made by two metal rivets from a lost kindle chain

Made ca. 1470 for use in Utrecht, Netherlands; Utrecht saints in calendar

Gruel and Engelmann, Paris no. 96; bookplate on front pastedown

Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1905, bought from Gruel and Engelmann

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

Byvanck, Alexander W., and Godefridus J. Hoogewerff, La miniature hollandaise dans les manuscrits illustrés du XIVe au XVIe siècle aux Pays-Bas septentrionaux. vol. 3. The Hague, 1922-1926, p. 70

De Ricci, Seymour, and William J. Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York, 1935-1940, p. 797, no. 255.

Miner, Dorothy. Dutch Illuminated Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Connoisseur Yearbook, 1955, pp. 76-77, figs. XII-XIV (fols. 54v, 75v, 80v).

Snyder, James. "Geertgen Tot Sint Jans and the Haarlem School of Painting." Ph.D. Dissertation. Princeton University, 1958, p. 131, no. 61.

Delaissé, Leon M. J. A Century of Dutch Manuscript Illumination. Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1968, pp. 49-50, figs. 110-11 (fols. 54v, 80v).

Farquhar, James D. Creation and Imitation: The Work of a Fifteenth-century Illuminator. Nova University Studies in the Humanities I, 1976, p. 174, no. 50.

Principal cataloger: Marrow, James

Catalogers: Devine, Alex; Dutschke, Consuelo; Herbert, Lynley; Valle, Chiara

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Boot, Christine; Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Pizzinato, Riccardo; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.