Lot 502* - A202 Books & Autographs - Wednesday, 21. September 2022, 02.00 PM
HORAE B.M.V. -
Book of Hours. Latin manuscript on vellum. With 5 large miniatures with floral border, 6 splendor initials with bordure and numerous small initials. All in gold and colors.
Paris, c. 1400. 18.5 × 13.5 cm (12.2 × 17.7 cm). [130] pp., 16 lines of gothic textura. Somewhat late. rest. Full leather (of the 17th c.) using the old cover with rich floral gold stamping on spine and covers, blind-stamped standing edges (covers slightly warped, lightly rubbed and bumped, some spotting).
The typeface, decoration, text, calendar, and style of the miniatures leave no doubt about a date around 1400 and the localization in Paris. The central clue for this localization is provided by the manuscript offered by Heribert Tenschert in 2011 (see Tenschert, catalog 66, no. 1), a Parisian Book of Hours circa 1390, which in turn is closely related to the Book of Hours in Baltimore, Walter's Art Museum (signature W96). Eberhard König attributed this manuscript to the master of Walter's W96 at the time. The book decoration, the miniatures, the background, the pictorial structure, the conception and the style of vestments and figures of the present manuscript clearly go back to the Tenschert manuscript, but are probably to be dated somewhat later. From the equipment of the manuscript it is clear that a differentiation of the individual executing hands of the miniatures is necessary and must now be discussed again on a broader basis. With the help of this new material, the question of the authorship of the Master of Walter's W96, to whom Eberhard König attributed the manuscript, can be discussed anew. Our manuscript is to be dated somewhat later than the Paris Book of Hours around 1390, but the illuminator is closely related to it: it is probably the same artist or a direct pupil. Certainly two or three hands were involved in the miniatures of this manuscript. While a large part of the images are direct transfers from the above manuscript, for the depiction of the requiem mass we must refer to the environment of the Boucicaut master (Boucicaut workshop, Funeral Service (Vespers), ca. 1415, London, Zwemmer Collection; Book of Hours, fol. 147, ca. 1410, Brussels, Bibl. royal, MS. 10767, f. 106v (cf. Meiss, Boucicaut Master, figs. 138, 139)). The three-line thorn-leaf initials and the border ornaments emanating from them - with marginal decorations of spiral vine tendrils and ivy leaves - generally refer to Parisian book illumination around 1400 (cf. Paris Book of Hours, Cologne, Slg. Renate König, Ars vivendi, ars moriendi no. 3). We thank Prof. Dr. Mark Mersiowsky for the attribution of this manuscript. - Contains the following miniatures: Bl. 19r: Annunciation. - 78r: Crucifixion. - 84r: Descent of the Holy Spirit. - 89r: Office of the Dead. - 126r: Resurrection.- Lightly browned, in parts faintly spotted (only a few text smudges), occasional light rubbing, and slightly creased or wavy, chipped at the back of the gutter (binding loosened). Overall very clean and carefully executed manuscript. - Some annotations by an old hand, partly on interleaved bound folios.
- Provenance: European collection.
- Provenance: European collection.
CHF 60 000 / 80 000 | (€ 61 860 / 82 470)
Sold for CHF 55 200 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.