HORAE Foyle Lot 49 : CHD: Dismembered Manuscripts 2002-2005

Dismembered Manuscripts
Book of Hours - Use of Paris, Paris c.1480-90 (Croiser Hours)
Heures à l'usage de Paris c.1480-90 (Heures Croiser)


Ordinary text page ruled for 16 lines in pale ink The final collect at all hours: Ecclesiam tuam CHD Research Collection

Paris c.1480 - Book of Hours, use of Paris, Paris c.1480-90 [Foyle Lot 49].
Vellum i+188 ff. 176 x 123 mm, 16 lines (102 x 74 mm). Textura.
This manuscript is very similar in many details to a Book of Hours in the James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor [Catalogue 1977, Ms.13, p.265-283] and was probably written and decorated via commission to the same librarian (publishing house) in Paris.
Prov: Croiser family c.1600; Ex Wiiliam Foyle Library. Sold Christie's 11 July 2000 lot 49 - See Catalogue 2000 below.
Sold again: Western Manuscripts and Miniatures, Sotheby's 2nd December 2003 lot 86 [24,000 GBP with buyer's premium]
(Gatherings from the Office of the Dead sold by Griffon Medieval Manuscripts, most single leaves and some miniatures sold by N-W).

	Contents (Transcripts are in progress)
f.1-12v	Kalendarium
	GOSPEL SEQUENCES
f.14	*St John on Patmos, writing
f.x
f.x
f.16	St Luke, seated at a desk, reading (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.17v	St Matthew, seated reading from a book held by angel (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.19	St Mark, seated, writing on a scroll, watched by his mustachioed lion (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
	OBSECRO TE & O INTEMERATA
f.21	*Pietà
f.x
f.x
f.25	*Virgo lactans
f.x
f.x
	HOURS OF THE VIRGIN (Use of Paris)
f.29	*Annunciation [Sold Reiss & Sohn 26 April 2006 lot 693]
f.x
f.x
	Laudes
f.50	*Visitation
f.x
f.x
	Primam
f.61	*Nativity with the Virgin and Joseph adoring the Christ Child
f.x
f.x
	Tertiam
f.67	*Annunciation to the Shepherds
f.x
f.x
	Sextam
f.71	*Adoration of the Magi
f.x
f.x
	Nonam
f.75	*Presentation in the Temple
f.x
f.x
	Vesperas
f.80	*Flight into Egypt, with the idol breaking
f.x
f.x
	Completorium
f.87	*Coronation of the Virgin
f.x
f.x
	PENITENTIAL PSALMS
f.93	*David slaying Goliath
f.x
f.x
	HOURS OF THE CROSS
f.111	*Crucifixion, with the Virgin and John the Evangelist on the left of the cross and Longinus and Stephaton on the right
f.x
f.x
	HOURS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
f.115	*Pentecost
f.x
f.x
	OFFICE OF THE DEAD (Use of Paris)
f.118	*Job on the Dungheap
f.x
f.x
	PRAYERS IN FRENCH
f.163	*Virgin and Child enthroned beneath a canopy held by angels
f.x
f.x
f.170	Gnadenstuhl Trinity (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
	SUFFRAGIA SANCTORUM
f.170v	St Michael vanquishing Lucifer (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.171v	Sts Peter and Paul (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.172v	St Christopher (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.174	Martyrdom of St Sebastian (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.175v	St Denis (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.177	Martyr Saints (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.177v	St Nicholas reviving the Three Boys (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.178v	*St Claude
f.x
f.x
f.180	St Fiacre (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.180	Stigmatisation of St Francis (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.181v	St Martin dividing his cloak (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.182v	St Mary Magdalene (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.184v	St Geneviève (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.185v	Virgin as the woman clothed in the sun (small miniature)
f.x
f.x
f.186v	Virgin, in three-quarter length (small miniature)
f.187
f.188

THE LIBRARY OF WILLIAM FOYLE Location: Christie's London, King Street
Sale Date Jul 11, 2000 - Jul 13, 2000
Sale Number 6348 Estimate 18,000 - 25,000 British pound
[The original Catalogue entry is reproduced here by courtesy of Christie's London]
Lot Number 49

BOOK OF HOURS, use of Paris, in Latin and French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM

[France, c.1480]
176 x 123mm. i + 188 leaves, mostly in gatherings of eight and, apparently, lacking only one folio, vertical catchwords at inner lower margin of final versos, 16 lines written in black ink in a gothic bookhand between two verticals and 17 horizontals ruled in pink, justification: 102 x 74mm, rubrics in red or blue, text capitals touched yellow, one- and two-line initials of burnished gold on blue or red grounds with infills of the contrasting colour with white tracery, similar line-endings, four-line initials with blue staves on gold and red grounds, the infills decorated with flowers, FIFTEEN LARGE MINIATURES with full-page borders, the miniature in an arch-topped 'jewelled' frame, borders with divided grounds with sprays of blue and gold acanthus on unpainted vellum and naturalistic fruit and flowers in liquid gold, TWENTY SMALL MINIATURES with three-sided borders of similar type (hole in front endleaf, occasional small spots and offsetting in margins and smudging to final three small miniatures and Gabriel's face on f.29). Late 16th-century French calf gilt, with a triple fillet border and central medallions with curling foliage on a hatched ground, two brass clasp hinges and catches at fore-edge, spine in five compartments tooled in gilt with a clover-spray (joints cracked, spine restored, lacking clasp straps). Red wrapround slip-cover.

The origin and intended use of the manuscript in Paris, which is suggested by the use of the Office of the Virgin, is confirmed by the presence in the Calendar of Marcel, Bishop of Paris, in gold (3 November); Marcel is also included in the Litany, where Geneviève leads the Virgins. Sts Fiacre and Geneviève who both appear in the Calendar and among the Suffrages were also especially venerated in the capital.
Inscription on front endleaf: L z D E
Croiser family: an inscription dated 2 February 1602 on the front endleaf records the ownership of the manuscript by Claude Franquelin, mother of the late M. Croiser 'mon beaupere', who gave it to Elisabet Croiser, wife of the writer.
Erased inscription signed Dupoyer and dated February 1692 upside down on rear endleaf

CONTENT:

Calendar ff.1-12v; Gospel extracts ff. 14-20: John f.14, Luke f.16, Matthew f.17v, Mark f.19; Obsecro te ff.21-25; O Intemerata ff.25-27v; Office of the Virgin use of Paris ff.29-92: matins f.29, lauds f.50, prime f.61, terce f.67, sext f.71, none f.75, vespers f.80, compline f.87; Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany ff. 93-110; Hours of the Cross f.111-114; Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.115-117v; Office of the Dead ff.118-162; Fifteen Joys of the Virgin, lacking end ff.163-166; Seven Requests to our Lord, lacking opening ff.167-169; Suffrages ff.170-187: to Trinity f.170, Michael f.170v, John the Baptist f.171, Peter and Paul f.171v, James f.172, Christopher f.172v, Sebastian f.174, Denis f.175v, Gervasius and Protasius f.176, all martyr Saints f.177v, Nicholas f.177v, Claud f.178, Anthony f.179, Fiacre f.179v, Francis f.180v, Maur f.181, Martin of Tours f.181v, Anne f.182, Mary Magdalene f.182v, Catherine f.183, Barbara f.183v, Geneviàve f.184v, Opportuna f.185, Prayers to the Virgin, opening Salve regina misericordie vita dulcedo ff.185v-187

ILLUMINATION:
This extensively illustrated Book of Hours shows illuminators adapting their techniques to the demands of the marketplace to produce a satisfyingly showy volume with efficiency and skill. The illumination with its darker hues enhanced by liqid gold modelling and detailing - even of Job's dungheap - is typical of conventions fashionable around 1480 in northern France. Liquid gold is also extensively used in the borders. The neatly hatched and cross-hatched gold contrasts with the more spontaneous execution of flesh areas; this gives energy to the figures which are further animated by their expansive gestures.
The subjects of the miniatures are as follows: [see Contents above arranged by folio number.]