Special Collections & Archives: MS.F.2.22: Book of Hours (use of Rome), in Latin

LUL MS.F.2.22: Book of Hours (use of Rome), in Latin. Northern France. Late 15th century.

Physical description: On parchment. iii + 203 + ii leaves (foliated i,ii 1-208), 130 x 90 mm. Ruled in red. Imperfect.

Contents: With prayers in Latin added in three different hands. Calendar in gold, blue and red; entries in gold include popes Gregory and Urban, and Denis.

Decoration: f.30 full-page Annunciation picture with three lines of text. Nine 10-line pictures (eight in Hours of the B.V.M., with Hours of the Cross and of the Holy Spirit, and one before sequentiae of the Gospels), with continuous framed floral borders; borders in outer margin on other written pages. Pictures missing from Hours (for matins of the Hours of the Holy Spirit and sext of the Hours of the B.V.M.) and before penitential Psalms and Office of the Dead supplied, probably in 19th century. Calendar has occupations of the months (recto) and signs of the zodiac (verso). Initials: 3- and 2-line in blue or red/gold on red/gold or blue decorated in gold; 1-line gold on blue or red decorated in gold.

Decorations attributed to Master of Jeanne de France, working in the 1460s.

Binding: Conservation work by Ian Maver (2002 citation below); previously 'bound in gilt green straight-grained morocco in a nineteenth-century style with hollow-back and false bands'; early 19th century, lettered 'Officium' (recorded in 1983. Later rebound).

Provenance 1500-1600: emblazoned shield on f.21v, with scrolls with motto 'LAIME QUI MAIME'.

Provenance: Armorial bookplate of William Harcourt Hooper (1834-1912)(?) (recorded in 1983. Later rebound).

Provenance 1900-1947: Bookplate of the C. Sydney Jones gift to the University of Liverpool.

Published citations and unpublished notes:

Samuel Gras, information received by email (2021): Decoration by a follower of Jean Fouquet called the Master of Jeanne de France during his youngest period, in the 1460's, working in the Loire Valley (France). The Crucifixion image suggests that another illuminator called the Master of the Yale Missal worked with him.

Lien Gyles & Ian Maver (2002), 'Conserving eleven late mediæval manuscripts for Liverpool University', Studies in Conservation, 47:sup5, 88-91. doi: 10.1179/sic.2002.47.s3.018. https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.2002.47.s3.018