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Walters Ms. W.186, Book of Hours

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Shelf mark

W.186


Manuscript

Book of Hours


Text title
Book of Hours

Abstract

This richly illuminated Book of Hours was produced ca. 1460 in Bruges by an artist in the circle of Willem Vrelant, whose work was influenced by the Masters of the Gold Scrolls and Master of the Beady Eyes. Allusions to the order of Franciscans and Augustinians in the litany and calendar, and the prominent depiction of female saints in the All Saints miniature (fol. 293r) indicate that the book was originally created for a female patron, possibly connected to one of these orders. Much of the existing scholarship on the book's twenty-two full-page miniatures has focused on the depictions of angelic musicians, such as those found on fol. 278v. Also of interest is the presence of multiple pilgrimage badge impressions on the final folio (fol. 295v).


Date

Ca. 1460 CE


Origin

Bruges


Artist

Supplied name: Circle of Willem Vrelant


Artist

Supplied name: Masters of the Gold Scrolls


Artist

Supplied name: Master of the Beady Eyes


Form

Book


Genre

Devotional


Language:

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin.


Support material

Parchment

Thin to medium-weight, well-prepared parchment; margins replaced on fore-edge fols. 75-77; parchment flyleaves contemporary with binding


Extent

Foliation: i+294+iii

Modern pencil foliation, upper right corner rectos


Collation

Formula: Quires 1-2: 6 (fols. 1-12); Quires 3-17: 8 (fols. 13-132); Quire 18: 8, lacking eighth folio (fols. 133-139); Quire 19-30: 8 (fols. 140-235); Quire 31: 4 (fols. 236-239); Quires 32-35: 8 (fols. 240-271); Quire 36: 8, lacking first folio (fols. 272-278); Quires 37-38: 8 (fols. 279-294)

Catchwords: Occasionally visible in center of lower margin, last verso of quire

Signatures: None

Comments:


Dimensions

8.8 cm wide by 12.2 cm high


Written surface

4.0 cm wide by 6.7 cm high


Layout
  1. Columns: 1
  2. Ruled lines: 12
  3. Layout does not apply to calendar: written surface 4.2 x 6.5 cm, 3 columns, 17 lines

Contents:
fols. 1r - 294v:
  1. Title: Book of Hours
  2. Hand note: Littera batarda
  3. Decoration note: Twenty-two extant full-page miniatures (two lacking after fols. 132 and 271); illuminated margins around full-page miniatures with flora; large decorated initials at each incipit (3 lines); small initials at secondary text divisions (2 lines); left-aligned flourished initials in litany and in text at versals (1 line); line fillers in gold and blue; rubrics in red; text in brown ink
fols. 1r - 12v:
  1. Title: Calendar
  2. Rubric: Januarius habet dies xxxi. luna xxx
  3. Contents: Calendar one quarter to one half full; graded in red and black; contains saints from Franciscan and Augustinian traditions, including William the Great (Feb. 10), Anicetus (Apr. 17), Eutropius (Apr. 3), Ivo (May 19), Nicholas of Tolentino (Jun. 5), Anthony of Padua (Jun. 13), Theobald (Jul. 9), Martha (Jul. 27), Sixtus II (Aug. 6), Donatus (Aug. 7), Clare (Aug. 12), Louis of France (Aug. 25), Cyprian (Sep. 25), Aegydius and Bavo (Oct. 1), Remigius (Oct. 2), Gerald (Oct. 13) Anianus (Nov. 17)
fols. 13r - 20r:
  1. Title: Hours of the Cross
  2. Incipit: Domine labia mea
  3. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 13r
fols. 21r - 28r:
  1. Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
  2. Incipit: Domine labia mea
  3. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 21r
fols. 29r - 132v:
  1. Title: Hours of the Virgin
  2. Incipit: Domine labia mea
  3. Contents: Use of Rome; fols. 30r-130r: Hours of the Virgin; fols. 130r-132v: antiphons (after Compline)
  4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 29r
fols. 133r - 154v:
  1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms
  2. Incipit: ...me fac propter
  3. Contents: Begins imperfectly, with opening folio missing
fols. 154v - 171v:
  1. Title: Litany, petitions, and collects
  2. Rubric: Letanie
  3. Incipit: Kyrieleyson
  4. Contents: Fols. 154v-171v: Litany, with fifteen evangelists/disciples/apostles/innocents from Peter to Luke; seventeen martyrs, including Exuperius, Dionysius, Maurice; fourteen pontiffs/doctors/confessors, including Anianus, Veranus (rare), Simplicianus (rare), Donatian; eleven monks and hermits/levites/priests, specifically Anthony (the Great), William the Great, Benedict, Paul 'prime hermita', Dominic, Francis, Leonard, Bernard, Ivo, Nicholas of Tolentino, Bernardinus of Siena (Franciscan, can. 1450); twelve widows and virgins, specifically Mary Magdalene, Agatha, Agnes, Catherine, Margarate, Monica (mother of St. Augustine, uncommon), Columbia, Gertrude, Barbara, Geneviève, Apollonia, Walburga ("Waldebrugis"); fols. 159v-167v: petitions and invocations; fols. 167v-171v: eleven collects
fols. 172r - 239v:
  1. Title: Office of the Dead
  2. Incipit: Placebo Domino. Dilexi, quoniam exaudiet
  3. Contents: Three-lesson short form
  4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 172r
fols. 232r - 271v:
  1. Title: Prayers and Gospel Sequences
  2. Contents: Fols. 232r-255v: six prayers; fols. 256r-267r: four Gospel sequences; fols. 267v-271v: prayer on the Seven Last Words of Christ with imperfect ending due to lost folio
fols. 272r - 294v:
  1. Title: Suffrages
  2. Incipit: Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui dedisti famulis tuis
  3. Contents: Opening illumination missing; suffrages are to: fols. 272r-v: God; fols. 273r-276r: Corpus Christi (rhyming); fols. 276v-278r: Christ, "Salvator mundi"; fols. 278v-279v: the Virgin, "Ave regina celorum"; fols. 280r-281r: St. John the Baptist; fols. 281v-282v: St. Martin; fols. 283r-284v: St. Christopher; fols. 285r-286r: St. Adrian; fols. 288r-289v: St. Barbara; fols. 290r-291r: St. Catherine (rhyming); fols. 291v-292v: St. Margaret; fols. 293r-294v: All saints
  4. Decoration note: Full-page miniatures on fols. 273r, 267v, 278v, 280r, 281v, 283r, 285r, 288r, 290r, 291v, and 293r; pilgrim badge impressions visible on fol. 294v

Decoration:

fol. 13r:

  1. W.186, fol. 13r
  2. Title: Crucifixion
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Cross

fol. 21r:

  1. W.186, fol. 21r
  2. Title: Pentecost
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit

fol. 29r:

  1. W.186, fol. 29r
  2. Title: Annunciation
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Matins

fol. 46v:

  1. W.186, fol. 46v
  2. Title: Visitation
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Lauds

fol. 70r:

  1. W.186, fol. 70r
  2. Title: Nativity-Adoration
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Prime

fol. 79r:

  1. W.186, fol. 79r
  2. Title: Annunciation to Shepherds (2)
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Terce

fol. 88r:

  1. W.186, fol. 88r
  2. Title: Adoration of Magi
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Sext

fol. 96v:

  1. W.186, fol. 96v
  2. Title: Presentation in Temple
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: None

fol. 105r:

  1. W.186, fol. 105r
  2. Title: Massacre of the Innocents (2)
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Vespers

fol. 120v:

  1. W.186, fol. 120v
  2. Title: Flight into Egypt
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Compline

fol. 172r:

  1. W.186, fol. 172r
  2. Title: Funeral service
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Office of the Dead

fol. 273r:

  1. W.186, fol. 273r
  2. Title: Crucifixion-decorated Host set in gold monstrance with pearls supported by two angels
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages: Corpus Christi

fol. 276v:

  1. W.186, fol. 276v
  2. Title: Two angels serenading salvator mundi
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 278v:

  1. W.186, fol. 278v
  2. Title: Two angels serenading Virgin and Child
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 280r:

  1. W.186, fol. 280r
  2. Title: St. John the Baptist
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 281v:

  1. W.186, fol. 281v
  2. Title: St. Martin dividing cloak for beggar
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 283r:

  1. W.186, fol. 283r
  2. Title: Christ-Child carried by St. Christopher
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 285r:

  1. W.186, fol. 285r
  2. Title: Two angels serenading St. Adrian, bounded by lute- and vielle-playing angels
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 288r:

  1. W.186, fol. 288r
  2. Title: Angel serenading St. Barbara
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 290r:

  1. W.186, fol. 290r
  2. Title: Two angels revering St. Catherine
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 291v:

  1. W.186, fol. 291v
  2. Title: St. Margaret emerging from Dragon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

fol. 293r:

  1. W.186, fol. 293r
  2. Title: All Saints, with SS. Barbara, Peter, Catherine, Paul, Andrew, John the Evangelist (?) and a bishop-saint
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Text: Suffrages

Binding

The binding is not original.

Seventeenth-century Belgian binding in brown calf skin on wooden boards, with repaired and re-backed mitered corners; four straps at four sets of deep cuts provide the structure for sewing; upper and lower board marked with gilt oval stamp on inlay of calfskin (possibly concealing previous stamp?); inscription "IHS" surmounted by Crucifixion within both ovals; naturally rounded spine with gilt tooled crosses; endbands in pink and blue-green thread; fastened with cast silver clasp, chiseled in the shape of a love knot at the center fore-edge; hinged on lower board; hinge and clasp attached with nails to boards by shield-shaped plates


Provenance

Produced ca. 1460 in Bruges by a follower of Willem Vrelant, with illuminations influenced by Master of the Beady Eyes and the Masters of the Golden Scrolls; abundance of female saints in All Saints miniature suggests original ownership by woman with possible connection to Franciscan or Augustinian orders (see litany and calendar)

Rebound in seventeenth century; heart motif suggests Augustinian affiliation

Modern pencil marking "MR577" on front flyleaf i, r

Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased between 1895 and 1931


Acquisition

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest


Bibliography

De Ricci, S., 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. 797, cat. no. 260.

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. 265-270, cat. no. 252.

Bowles, E. A. "A Checklist of Musical Instruments in Fifteenth-Century Illuminated Manuscripts at the Walters Art Gallery," Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association. Wisconsin: Music Library Association, 1976. Vol. 32/4, p. 719-726

Owens, M. B. "Musical Subjects in the Illumination of Books of Hours from Fifteenth-Century France and Flanders" (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 1987), p. 395, Fig. 11 (f. 278v)

Bousmanne, B. "Prolégomènes à la constitution et à l'interprétation d'un corpus des manuscrits attribués au groupe Vrelant: Un aspect de l'enluminure dans le Pays-Bas méridionaux au XVe siècle," (PhD diss., Université Catholique de Louvain, 1994), p. 24, 214-216


Contributors

Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.

Cataloger: Mergen, Christopher

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Emery, Doug; Mergen, Christopher; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Wiegand, Kimber


Publisher

The Walters Art Museum


License

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.