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Walters Ms. W.434, Book of Hours (for use of Tournai)
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W.434
Book of Hours (for use of Tournai)
This Book of Hours was completed for the Use of Tournai and was illuminated ca. 1500 under the influence of the Master of the Prayer Books. Synthesis of text and decoration is well balanced in this manuscript. Evidence of an early owner is found on fol. 18v, where he is depicted in prayer with St. William the Great. However, because St. William the Great is not mentioned in the calendar, the manuscript may have been intended for an owner other than the gentleman portrayed in the full-page miniature on fol. 18v. Featuring fifteen full-page miniatures (inserted), twenty-nine panel miniatures, as well as some illusionistic borders, this manuscript has an ambitious pictorial program. However, there is also a sophisticated interrelationship between the textual and pictorial programs, a relationship especially apparent in the Suffrages.
Ca. 1500 CE
Bruges(?)
Supplied name: Circle of the Master of the Prayer Books ca. 1500
Book
Devotional
The primary language in this manuscript is Latin. The secondary language of this manuscript is French, Middle (ca.1400-1600).
Parchment
Thin parchment, slightly thicker for inserted illuminated leaves; finely selected and prepared; front flyleaves and back flyleaves are modern parchment
Foliation: iii+233+iii
Front flyleaf i is conjoint with front pastedown
Formula: Quires 1-2: 6 (fols. 1-12); Quire 3: 6, with sixth folio cancelled (fols. 13-17); Quire 4: 2, with first and fourth folios added (fols. 18-21); Quire 5: 8 (fols. 22-29); Quire 6: 8, with fourth folio added (fols. 30-38); Quire 7: 8, with second folio added (fols. 39-47); Quire 8: 8 (fols. 48-55); Quire 9: 8, with sixth folio added (fols. 56-64); Quire 10: 8, with fourth folio cancelled (fols. 65-71); Quire 11: 8 (fols. 72-79); Quire 12: 8, with first folio added (fols. 80-88); Quire 13: 8, with third and ninth folios added (fols. 89-98); Quire 14: 8, with fourth and ninth folios added (fols. 99-108); Quire 15: 8, with fourth folio added (fols. 109-117); Quire 16: 8, with third folio added (fols. 118-126); Quire 17: 8, with first folio added (fols. 127-135); Quire 18: 8 (fols. 136-143); Quire 19: 8, with sixth folio cancelled and seventh folio added (fols. 144-151); Quire 20: 8, with sixth folio cancelled (fols. 152-158); Quire 21: 8, with fourth folio cancelled (fols. 159-165); Quires 22-28: 8 (fols. 166-221); Quire 29: 6 (fols. 222-227); Quire 30: 6, with sixth folio cancelled and second folio added (fols. 228-233)
Catchwords: Extant at lower right on fol. 213, in brown ink
Signatures: Extant fragmentary signatures visible at lower right of select rectos, see fols. 30r, 31r, 32r, 34r, 167r, 168r, 169r, and 170r
Comments:
10.3 cm wide by 14.0 cm high
4.7 cm wide by 7.0 cm high
- Columns: 1
- Ruled lines: 17
- Layout does not apply to calendar: written space 7 x 4.7 cm, 3 columns, 17 lines
- Title: Book of Hours
- Hand note: Written in slanted Burgundian cursiva formata
- Decoration note: Fifteen full-page miniatures, inserted; twenty-nine panel miniatures; decorated illuminated initials of liquid gold appearing in four forms: on pages opposite full-page miniatures (4-5 lines); at secondary text openings, including those marked by panel miniatures (2 lines); at versals aligned at left in litany and in running text (2 lines); "K L" in calendar (3 lines); illusionistic scatter borders similar to W.429 found around some full-page miniatures, of note are fol. 18v: cast shadows hatched in brown on gold wash ground; fols. 18v and 19r (effaced): armorial shield; on pages opposite full-page miniatures borders; also found at text openings of first prayer Suffrages, Gospel Sequences: bracket shaped, designs omit fauna illusionistic borders; rubrics in red; text in brown ink
- Title: Calendar
- Rubric: Januarius habet dies xxxi. luna. xxx
- Contents: Calendar two-thirds full, text in Latin, headings in French; graded in pale mauve and dark brown ink; contents indicate destination for Tournai; feasts of note include Babylas (Jan. 24), Aldegund (Jan. 30), Amandus (Feb. 6), Eleutherius (Feb. 20), Romanus (Feb. 27), David (Mar. 1), Valeric and Hermes (Apr. 1), Julianus (Apr. 17, rare), dedication of Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai (May 9, "dedicacio eccl[es]ie torn[acensis]," rare), Peter Celestine (May 19, "petri confessoris"), Eusebius (Jun. 21), Eligius (Jun. 25, Translation; cf. Dec. 1), Peter and Paul (Jun. 29, "passio aspostolorum"), Ephrem deacon (Jul. 9, "Effreni confessoris"), Bruno (Jul. 18), Anne (Jul. 26, termed "electe"), Timothy and Apollinaris (Aug. 22), Aegydius (Sept. 1, "abbatis"), Remacle (Sept. 3), Bertin (Sept. 5), Humbert (Sept. 6, also Nov. 3), Ninian (Sept. 15), Methodius (Sept. 18), Remigius and Bavo (Oct. 1), Dionysius (Oct. 9), Venantius (Oct. 11), Gangulf (Oct. 12, "Gendulphi mr.," Translation), Martha (Oct. 16), Cordula (Oct. 22), Eustace (Nov. 4), Maclovius (Nov. 15, "Machuti"), Maurus (Nov. 21), Eligius (Dec. 1, cf. Jun. 25), Lazarus (Dec. 5, "episcopi"), Victoricus (Dec. 11, "martiris")
- Title: Devotional Sequence
- Rubric: Devote oracion du nom de ihesus
- Incipit: O bone ihesu o piissime
- Contents: Fols. 13r-14v: Prayer to Christ, "Devote oracion du nom de ihesus. O bone ihesu o piissime ihesu o dulcissime ihesu . . . ."; fols. 14v-15r: Suffrage to St. William the Great, "Oracion de saint guillaume. O guillerme navi fragmentes rexpexisti [sic for "respexisti"] laborantes in maris periculo . . . ."; fol. 15v: blank, ruled; fols. 16r-17r: Prayer for faithful dead, "Oroison pour les trespasses devotes. Avete omnes anime fideles quarum corpora hic et ubique requiescunt . . . Oremus. or[ati]o. Domine ihesu christe salus et liberatio fidelium animarum . . . / . . . P[ate]r n[oste]r Ave maria"; fol. 17v: blank, ruled; fols. 18r-20v: Prayer to Christ, "Oratio ad dominum ihesum xristum. In manus tuas domine ihesu xriste et in manus beatissime et floriose virginis marie . . . ."
- Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 18v; panel miniatures on fols. 13r, 14v, and 19r
- Title: Gospel Sequence of Passion according to John
- Rubric: Passio domini nostri ihesu xristi secundum Johannem.
- Incipit: Egressus est dominus ihesus
- Contents: Fols. 21r-32v: Gospel sequence of Passion according to John (John 18:1-19:42)
- Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 21v
- Title: Hours of the Cross
- Rubric: Incipiunt hore sancte crucis.
- Incipit: Domine labia mea aperies
- Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 33v
- Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit, Gospel sequences, and prayers
- Rubric: Incipiunt hore sancti spiritus.
- Incipit: Domine labia mea aperies
- Contents: Fols. 40v-46r: Hours of the Holy Spirit; fols. 46r-52r: Gospel Sequences, the first headed, "Inicium sancti euvangelii secundum iohannem. Floria tibi domine." the other three headed, "Sequentia sancti euvangelii secundum . . . ."; John 1:1-14; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 2:1-12; Mark 16:14-20; fols. 52r-60r: two prayers to the Virgin headed, "Devota oratio ad virginem mariam" the other "Devotissima oratio ad beatam mariam"; fol. 60v: blank, ruled
- Decoration note: One full-page miniature on fol. 40v; panel miniatures on fols. 46r, 48r, 49v, 51r, and 52r
- Title: Hours of the Virgin
- Rubric: Hore beate virginis marie secundum usum tornacensis.
- Incipit: Domine labia mea aperies
- Contents: Hours of the Virgin, for use of Tournai as specified in the heading; bifolio misbound after fol. 90r; blank and ruled folio at end of each canonical hour except Prime and Compline (fols. 79v, 90v, 101v, 111v, 119v); headings for canonical hours termed, "Ad . . . ." beginning at Lauds (fol. 81); Compline ends on fol. 125r, followed by "salutation" to the Virgin (fols. 125r-126r), "Salutacio virginis marie. Salve regina misericordie vita dulcedo et spes nostra salve . . . ."; fol. 126v: blank, ruled
- Decoration note: Full-page miniatures on fols. 61v, 80v, 91v, 97v, 102v, 107v, 112v, and 120v
- Title: Seven Penitential Psalms
- Rubric: Septem Psalmi
- Incipit: Domine ne in furore tuo
- Contents: Fols. 127r-138r: Seven Penitential Psalms with a prefatory antiphon and versicle, "An. Genti peccatrici populo peccatis miserere . . . . Vs. Esto placabilis . . . ."
- Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 127v
- Title: Litany, petitions, and collects
- Rubric: Letania sanctorum
- Incipit: Kyrie eleyson
- Contents: Fols. 138r-148v: litany, notable quantity of saints, destination for Tournai indicated: sixteen saints/apostles/evangelists: Peter to Barnabas; thirty-five martyrs, including Hermes, Lawrence, Vincent, Piatus, Hippolytus, Dionysius, Maurice, Nicasius, Quintinus, Gereon, Leodegar, Lambert, Christopher, Thomas, Demetrius, Blasius, Livin, Firminus; twenty-eight confessors, including Silvester, Gregory, Leo, Hilary, Martin (repeated on next line for double invocation), Nicholas, Augustine, Ambrose, Eleutherius, Jerome, Benedict, Remigius, Gaugeric, Brictius, Bruno, "Mate," Evurtius, Ghislain, Bernard, Severinus; seventeen virgins, including Mary Magdalene, Mary Egyptian, Petronilla, Geneviève, Brigid, Barbara, Elizabeth; fols. 142r-147r: petitions, invocations, written consecutively, gold versals in final sequence; fols. 147r-148v: five collects, first two and the fourth headed, "collecta," others "oratio"
- Title: Office of the Dead
- Rubric: Incipiunt vigilie mortuorum Antiphona
- Incipit: Dilexi quoniam exaudiet
- Contents: Office of the Dead, for Use of Tournai; ten collects at end of Vespers, each headed, "Oratio," third for soul of woman: "Deus qui inter apostolicos sacerdotes tuos pontificali fecisti . . . . Adiuva nos domine deus noster et beatissime dei genitricis marie . . . .
- Decoration note: One full-page miniature on fol. 149v
- Title: Suffrages and prayers
- Rubric: Commemoratio de sancta trinitate
- Incipit: Te invocamus te adoramus
- Contents: Fols. 198v-228v: Suffrages; five to Trinity and individual members, the Holy Face, prayer on Sorrow of Virgin by Cross, five Suffrages to six male saints (one pair), one to All Apostles, seven to male saints, seven to female saints, one to Numerous Martyrs, three to male saints; typically headed, "De Sancto . . . / sancta . . ."; series of short prayers at end; fol. 198v: Suffrage to the Trinity; fol. 199v: Suffrage to God-Father; fol. 200v: Suffrage to God-Son; fol. 201r: Suffrage to the Holy Spirit; fol. 203v: Suffrage to Lament on Sorrow of Virgin by the Cross; fol. 205v: Suffrage to Saint Michael; fol. 206r: Suffrage to St. John Baptist; fol. 206v: Suffrage to St. John Evangelist; fol. 207v: Suffrage to SS. Peter and Paul; fol. 208r: Suffrage to James the Greater; fol. 209r: Suffrage to All Apostles; fol. 209v: Suffrage to St. Stephen; fol. 210r: Suffrage to St. Lawrence; fol. 210v: Suffrage to St. Christopher; fol. 212r: Suffrage to St. Dionysius; fol. 213r: Suffrage to St. Nicholas; fol. 213v: Suffrage to St. Sebastian; fol. 214v: Suffrage to St. Anthony; fol. 215r: Suffrage to St. Anne; fol. 216r: Suffrage to St. Mary Magdalene; fol. 216v: Suffrage to St. Catherine; fol. 217r: Suffrage to St. Margaret; fol. 218r: Suffrage to St. Barbara; fol. 219r: Suffrage to St. Apollonia; fol. 219v: Suffrage to St. Geneviève; fol. 220r: Suffrage to Martyrs; fol. 220v: Suffrage to St. Francis; fol. 221r: Suffrage to St. Livin; fol. 222r: Suffrage to St. Bavo; fols. 222v-228v: sequence of prayers before, during, and after Communion; opening prayers for recitation on arising and leaving home. Communion prayers incorporate prayer of Indulgence for two thousand years said to have been granted by Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303), closing prayers for the king, remission of sins, benefactors, friends in need, deceased friends, father and mother
- Decoration note: Panel miniatures on fols. 198v, 199v, 200v, 201r, 202r, 203v, 205v, 206r, 206v, 207v, 208r, 209v, 210r, 210v, 212r, 213r, 213v, 216r, 216v, 218r, and 219v
- Title: Seven Verses of St. Gregory
- Rubric: Monseigneur sainct grigoire a donne quatorze mille ans de vray pardon a tous vrais confes & repentans les genoux flechies en terre devant la representacion de sa benoitte passion devotement diront sept fois pater noster Ave maria aveuc les oraisons qui sensieuent. Et depuis pluseurs aultres y en ont adiouste grande cantite amontant en somme totalle quarante six mille xii ans & xx iours.
- Incipit: Domine ihesu christe adoro
- Contents: Seven Verses of St. Gregory, his grant of Indulgence for 14,000 years in heading to have been increased by others to 46,012 years and twenty days for recitation by truly confessed and repentant kneeling before image of "blessed Passion," along with sevenfold recitation of "Pater noster," and "Ave Maria"; fols. 32r-v: blank, ruled
- Decoration note: Full-page panel miniature on fol. 229v
fol. 13r:
fol. 14v:
- Title: St. William the Great
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Devotional Sequence: Suffrage to St. William the Great
fol. 18v:
- Title: St. William the Great, male manuscript owner in prayer
- Form: Full-page miniature
- Text: Devotional Sequence: Prayer to Christ
fol. 19r:
- Title: Virgin and Child with angel-musicians
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Devotional Sequence: Prayer to Christ
fol. 21v:
fol. 33v:
fol. 40v:
fol. 46r:
fol. 48r:
fol. 49v:
fol. 51r:
fol. 52r:
fol. 61v:
fol. 80v:
fol. 91v:
fol. 97v:
fol. 102v:
fol. 107v:
fol. 112v:
fol. 120v:
- Title: Flight into Egypt, with massacre of an innocent in background
- Form: Full-page miniature
- Text: Hours of the Virgin: Compline
fol. 127v:
fol. 149v:
fol. 198v:
- Title: Trinity: Lamentation
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to the Trinity
fol. 199v:
- Title: God-Father enthroned
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to God-Father
fol. 200v:
- Title: Christ enthroned, displaying wounds
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to God-Son
fol. 201r:
- Title: Holy Spirit descending at Pentecost
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to the Holy Spirit
fol. 202r:
fol. 203v:
- Title: Virgin and Child, with book open on ledge before them
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to Lament on Sorrow of Virgin by the Cross
fol. 205v:
- Title: St. Michael vanquishing devil
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. Michael
fol. 206r:
- Title: St. John the Baptist
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. John the Baptist
fol. 206v:
- Title: St. John the Evangelist with chalice
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. John the Evangelist
fol. 207v:
- Title: SS. Peter and Paul
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to SS. Peter and Paul
fol. 208r:
- Title: St. James the Greater
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. James the Greater
fol. 209v:
fol. 210r:
- Title: St. Lawrence with grill
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. Lawrence
fol. 210v:
- Title: St. Christopher carrying Christ Child
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. Christopher
fol. 212r:
fol. 213r:
- Title: St. Nicholas resuscitating three tonsured youths
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. Nicholas
fol. 213v:
- Title: St. Sebastian martyred
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. Sebastian
fol. 216r:
- Title: St. Mary Magdalene
- Form: Panel miniature
- Text: Suffrages and prayers: Suffrage to St. Mary Magdalene
fol. 216v:
fol. 218r:
fol. 219v:
fol. 229v:
The binding is not original.
France, last quarter of the nineteenth century; crimson velvet bound over wooden boards; spine rounded and backed, hollow card liner; endbands of a deep crimson with white silk, worked with edge-bead around parchment laminate; gilt edges, original gauffering design of three dotted fillets intersecting to form lozenges containing centered quatrefoils
Bruges(?), ca. 1500; completed for Use of Tournai and illuminated under the influence of the Master of the Prayer Books active ca. 1500 in Bruges
Early owner depicted in presence of St. William the Great, armorial shield in border, "de gueules au poisson d'or posé en fasce et contourné, accompagné de trois étoiles d'or brisées d'un croissant d'argent placé en chef"; heraldic marking on St. William's pennant, "d'azur semé de fleurs de lis d'or, au franc canton d'azur à trois croissants d'or" (identified by Michel Pastoureau as the usual "fictitious arms of king Clovis")
Marshall C. Lefferts, New York City, 1901, his sale to George H. Richmond, New York Bookseller (in pencil on front pastedown: "$350")
Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased possibly from Richmond between 1901 and 1931
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. 810, cat. no. 329.
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. 474-475.
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, 1989; pp. 486-494 (ref. under cat. no. 291, W.434).
Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.
Cataloger: Herbold, Rebekah
Editor: Herbert, Lynley
Copy editor: Dibble, Charles
Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail
Contributors: Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Ransom, Allison; 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.