Walters Ms. W.178, Book of Hours

W.178

Book of Hours

Book of Hours

This small Book of Hours was made at the turn of the sixteenth century. The illuminations are in the style of the Master of the Prayerbook of ca. 1500, active in Bruges. The name of the first owner is inscribed in the book in a prayer on fol. 241v, in which a man named Philip confesses himself a sinner and prays for his heart to be pure. The series of full-page miniatures opens with an interesting illumination of the Salvator Mundi that was a common theme in South Netherlandish illumination in this period. A comparable example, painted by the Master of the Prayerbook c. 1500, is found in the manuscript Vat. Ross. Lat. 94.

Ca. 1500 CE

Bruges (?)

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin. The secondary language of this manuscript is French, Middle (ca.1400-1600).

Parchment

Thin to medium-weight, well-prepared parchment; severely trimmed; heavier folios inserted for illuminations; flyleaves are modern parchment

Foliation: iii+275+iii

Modern pencil foliation, upper right corners, rectos; front flyleaves marked "ABC," and back flyleaves marked "XYZ"

Formula: Quire 1: 4, with first folio as pastedown (front pastedown-front flyleaf iii); Quire 2: 12 (fols. 1-12); Quire 3: 8, with first folio added (fols. 13-21); Quire 4: 8, with third folio removed and ninth folio added after fol. 28 (fols. 22-30); Quire 5:8, with fourth folio added (fols. 31-39); Quires 6-9: 8 (fols. 40-71); Quire 10: 8, with sixth folio added (fols. 72-80); Quire 11: 8, with third and fourth folios added (fols. 81-90); Quire 12: 8, with fifth folio added (fols. 91-99); Quire 13: 8, with seventh folio added and later removed (fols. 100-107); Quires 14-15: 8 (fols. 108-123); Quire 16: 6 (fols. 124-129); Quire 17: 8, with first folio added (fols. 130-138); Quires 18-30: 8 (fols. 139-242); Quire 31-32: 6 (fols. 243-254); Quire 33: 4, with fifth folio added (fols. 255-259); Quire 34: 8 (fols. 260-267); Quire 35: 4 (fols. 268-271); Quires 36-37: 2 (fols. 272-275); Quire 38: 4, with last folio as back pastedown (back flyleaf i-back pastedown)

Comments:

6.6 cm wide by 9.1 cm high

4.0 cm wide by 6.2 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 14-16
3. Ruled in light-red ink; layout does not apply to calendar: written surface 5 cm x 6.8 cm , 3 columns, 17 lines

fols. 1r - 275r:

1. Title: Book of Hours
2. Hand note: Burgundian cursiva formata
3. Decoration note: Twelve full-page miniatures inserted as singletons, each with foliate margins on three sides and facing opening pages of text with matching foliate margins and large gold floral initials against red and blue grounds (4-6 lines); thirty smaller miniatures and two historiated initials; small initials in gold against red grounds (1-3 lines) beginning each calendar page (KL) and also marking secondary text divisions; rubrics in red; text in dark brown ink

fols. 1r - 12v:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Rubric: Januarius habet dies .xxxi. luna habet dies .xxx.
3. Contents: Calendar half-full; graded in red and black; saints of note include: Soteris (Feb. 11), Fulcran (Feb. 13), Rupert (Mar. 27), Quintinius (Mar. 29), Euphemia (Apr. 7), Isidore (Apr. 16), Sigismund (Apr. 30), Appa (Aug. 5), Bernardinus of Siena (May 20), Juliana (May 23), Justinus (June 1), Amandus (June 25), Hilary of Poitiers (June 26), Rufina (Jul. 40), Privatus (Jul. 13), Susanna (Aug. 11), Radegund (Aug. 13), Roch (Aug. 16), Severus (Aug. 26), Vivianus (Aug. 27), Moses ("Moysi confessoris" Sept. 4), Eugene (June 9), Salvius (Sept. 10), Maximus (Sept. 12), Luke the Evangelist (Oct. 18), Evaristus (Oct. 26), Vitalis and Agricola (Nov. 4), Gregory (Nov. 17), Stephen (Nov. 20), Bibiana (Dec. 2), Sabas (Dec. 5), and Gratianus (Dec. 18)

fols. 13v - 23v:

1. Title: Suffrage to the Holy Face
2. Rubric: Sancte facie Domini
3. Incipit: Salve sancta facies
4. Contents: Fols. 14r-15v: Suffrage to the Holy Face; fols. 15v-23v: Readings from the Gospels: John 1:1-14, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 2:1-12, and Mark 16:14-20
5. Decoration note: One full-page miniature at the beginning of the suffrage, fol. 14r; smaller miniatures with the portraits of the Evangelists at the opening of each one of the Gospel sequences, fols. 15v, 18r, and 20r

fols. 24r - 28v:

1. Title: Hours of the Cross
2. Rubric: Sequuntur horae sancte crucis
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea

fols. 29v - 33v:

1. Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
2. Rubric: Sequuntur hore de sancto spiritu
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 29v

fols. 34v - 129v:

1. Title: Hours of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Hore intemerate virignis marie. secundum usum romanum. Ad matutinas
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniatures fols. 34v, 57v, 71v, 77v, 83v, 89v, and 95v

fols. 130v - 158r:

1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms, litany, and petitions
2. Rubric: Sequuntur septem psalmi penitenciales anthiphona.
3. Incipit: Domine ne in furore
4. Contents: Fols. 131r-146v: Seven Penitential Psalms; fols. 146v-149v: Litany with Franciscan emphasis, including Peter and Accursius, whose cult was approved in 1481, and Bonaventure, canonized in 1482; fols. 149v-155r: Petitions, Psalm 69, versicles and responsories; fols. 155r-158r: Collects
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature with border fol. 130v

fols. 158v - 195r:

1. Title: Office of the Dead
2. Rubric: Sequuntur vigilie mortuorum. Ad vesperas. antiphona
3. Incipit: Placebo
4. Hand note: Full-page miniature with borders fol. 158v

fols. 195v - 210v:

1. Title: Devotional sequence
2. Rubric: Sequuntur suffragia sanctorum et sanctarum. De sanctissima trinitate. antiphona
3. Incipit: Sancta trinitas unus Deus
4. Contents: Fols. 196r-198v: Suffrage to the Trinity; fols. 199v-204r: Obsecro te; fols. 204r-207v: O intemerata; fols. 207v-210v: Prayer lamenting the sorrow of the Virgin by the cross
5. Decoration note: One full-page miniature with borders fol. 195v; four small miniatures at the beginning of each prayer, fols. 197r, 198r, 198v, and 204r

fols. 210v - 230v:

1. Title: Suffrages
2. Rubric: De sancto Michaele. antiphona
3. Incipit: Michael archangele paradisi
4. Contents: Suffrages: fol. 210v: Michael; fol. 211v: John the Baptist; fol. 212r: John the Evangelist; fol. 213r: Peter and Paul; 213v: James the Greater; fol. 214v: all the apostles; fol. 215v: Stephen; fol. 216v: Lawrence; fol. 217r: Christopher; fol. 219r: Sebastian; fol. 221r: George; fol. 222v: martyrs; fol. 223v: Nicholas; fol. 224r: Anthony; fol. 225r: Anne; fol. 226r: Mary Magdalene; fol. 227r: Catherine; fol. 227v: Margaret; fol. 228v: Barbara; fol. 230r: Apollonia
5. Decoration note: Small miniatures fols. 210v, 211v, 212r, 213rv, 214v, 215v, 216v, 217r, 219r, 221r, 223v, 224r, 225r, 226r, 227rv, 228v, and 230r

fols. 231v - 253r:

1. Title: Seven Verses of St. Gregory and devotional sequence
2. Rubric: Sequuntur septem orationes sancti Gregorii pape.
3. Incipit: Domine ihesu xriste
4. Contents: Fols. 231v-233v: Seven Verses of St. Gregory; fols. 233v-238v: Prayer attributed to Bede on the Seven Last Words of Christ; fols. 238v-242v: Prayers to Christ, to the Virgin for suppliant named Philip; fols. 243r-246r: Six short prayers on arising, leaving the house, taking the holy water, before the crucifix, before and during Communion; fols. 246r-248v: Seven Verses of St. Gregory; fols. 248v-251r: Prayer to Christ in French; fols. 251r-253r: Prayer on the angelic salutation to the Virgin
5. Decoration note: One full-page miniature fol. 231v

fols. 254r - 272r:

1. Title: Passion according to St. John, and Mass of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Passio domini nostri ihesu xristi secundum Johannem
3. Incipit: Egressus est dominus ihesus
4. Contents: Fols. 254r-268r: Passion according to St. John (John 18:1-19:42); fols. 268v-269r: Prayer; fols. 269r-272r: Mass of the Virgin
5. Decoration note: One full-page miniature fol. 254r

fols. 272v - 275v:

1. Title: Two prayers added early by owners
2. Contents: Prayers added early: fols. 272v-275r: Prayer to Christ in Dutch, signed "Durey" (?) fol. 275r; incipit: O heere Ihesu xpt; fol. 275r: Prayer to the Virgin in French, incipit: Maria mere tres piteuse
3. Hand note: Different hands wrote the two prayers

fol. 13v:

1. 
2. Title: Salvator Mundi
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Suffrage to the Holy Face

fol. 15v:

1. 
2. Title: St. John on Patmos
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Gospels sequences

fol. 18r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Luke holding glasses
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Gospels sequences

fol. 20r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Matthew with the Angel
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Gospels sequences

fol. 22r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Mark the Evangelist
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Gospels sequences

fol. 29v:

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

fol. 34v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Matins

fol. 57v:

1. 
2. Title: Visitation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Lauds

fol. 71v:

1. 
2. Title: Nativity
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Prime

fol. 77v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation to the Shepherds
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Terce

fol. 83v:

1. 
2. Title: Adoration of the Magi
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Sext

fol. 89v:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation in the Temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: None

fol. 95v:

1. 
2. Title: Massacre of the Innocents
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Vespers

fol. 130v:

1. 
2. Title: Last Judgment
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Penitential Psalms

fol. 158v:

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

fol. 195v:

1. 
2. Title: Throne of Grace
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Suffrage to the Trinity

fol. 197r:

1. 
2. Title: God the Father Blessing
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Prayer to God

fol. 198r:

1. 
2. Title: Man of Sorrows
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Prayer to Christ

fol. 198v:

1. 
2. Title: Dove of the Holy Spirit
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Prayer to the Holy Spirit

fol. 199v:

1. 
2. Title: Pietà
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Prayer to the Virgin

fol. 204r:

1. 
2. Title: The Virgin and St. John the Evangelist before the Cross
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: O Intemerata

fol. 210v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Michael Vanquishing the Devils
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: St. Michael

fol. 211v:

1. 
2. Title: St. John the Baptist
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. John the Baptist

fol. 212r:

1. 
2. Title: St. John the Evangelist Blessing the Chalice
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: St. John the Evangelist

fol. 213r:

1. 
2. Title: SS. Peter and Paul
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: SS. Peter and Paul

fol. 213v:

1. 
2. Title: St. James the Greater
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: St. James the Greater

fol. 214v:

1. 
2. Title: Apostles
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: All the apostles

fol. 215v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Stephen
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: St. Stephen

fol. 216v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Lawrence
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: St. Lawrence

fol. 217r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Christopher
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrage: St. Christopher

fol. 219r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Sebastian
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Sebastian

fol. 221r:

1. 
2. Title: St. George slaying the dragon
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. George

fol. 223v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Nicholas blessing three resuscitated youths
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Nicholas

fol. 224r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Anthony
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Anthony

fol. 225r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Anne with the Virgin and Child
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Anne

fol. 226r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Mary Magdalene
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Mary Magdalene

fol. 227r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Catherine
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Catherine

fol. 227v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Margaret
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Margaret

fol. 228v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Barbara
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Barbara

fol. 230r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Apollonia
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Suffrages: St. Apollonia

fol. 231v:

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

fol. 238v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Child with whirligig
3. Form: Small miniature, 7 lines
4. Text: Prayer: "O bone ihesu"

fol. 254r:

1. 
2. Title: Man of Sorrows and instruments of passion
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Passion according to John

The binding is not original.

Rebound in France at the beginning of the twentieth century with dark red velvet; sewn on five double cords or tawed thongs; eighteenth-century Flemish cast silver guards with foliate designs, catch and clasp centered at fore-edge; the clasp shows inside a monogram "AG" that was likely added later

Created ca. 1200, possibly in Bruges, for original owner named Philip ("Philipum" inscribed on line 1 of fol. 214v)

Durey (?), signature found in one of the two prayers added early (fol. 275r)

Dated monogram "P.P.L. 1702" on back pastedown

London, Sotheby's, March 17, 1902, lot. no. 709; book sold to Leighton bookseller

Maggs Bros., London, white ticket with blue border on front pastedown top left, inscribed "Aa.V./140"

Henry Walters bought the manuscript for $200, likely from Maggs. Bros. at uncertain date (inscription "pd $200" and the initials "HW" written in pencil on back pastedown)

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

De Ricci, Seymour, and W. J. Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935; p. 804, cat. no. 297.

Bowles, Edmund A. "A Checklist of Musical Instruments in Fifteenth-Century Illuminated Manuscripts at the Walters Art Gallery." Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association 32, no. 4 (1976): 719-726; pp. 722, 726.

Owens, M.B. "Musical Subjects in the Illumination of Books of Hours from Fifteenth-Century France and Flanders." Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1987; pp. 390-391.

Randall, Lilian M. C. Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Vol. 3, Belgium, 1250-1530. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press in association with the Walters Art Gallery, 1997; pp. 494-500, cat. no. 292.

As-Vijvers, Anne Margreet. "Manuscript Production in a Carmelite Convent: The Case of Cornelia von Wulfschkercke." In Books of Hours Reconsidered, edited by Sandra Hindman and James H. Marrow, 279-296. London and Turnhout: Harvey Miller, 2013; 291, 293 fig. 13 (fol. 29v, as Master of Raphael de Mercatellis), 296 n. 50.

Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.

Cataloger: Valle, Chiara

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Brown, Emily; Emery, Doug; Herbold, Rebekah; Noel, William; Schuele, Allyson; Shartrand, Emily; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Wiegand, Kimber

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-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.