Illuminated manuscript leaf from a French Book of Hours, circa 1450

Illuminated manuscript leaf from a French Book of Hours, circa 1450

Technical Details & Condition:

This double-sided leaf is executed in Latin Gothic Textura Formata script on fine vellum. By the mid-15th century, this script reached its most formal, “frozen” state—exemplified here by the absolute rigidity of the minims and the use of quadrate (square) feet. This high-grade Formata was reserved for prestigious liturgical works and remains a hallmark of the “golden age” of Northern French illumination.

The borders exhibit the mid-15th-century shift toward naturalism. The exceptionally fine foliate decoration features strawberries (often symbolizing righteousness or the "fruits of the spirit") intertwined with blue and gold acanthus leaves and delicate ivy. The pigments are tempered with glair (egg white), providing a crisp finish. The vibrant scarlet of the berries is likely minium (red lead), while the more saturated red of the initials is vermilion. The deep blue is likely azurite, potentially enriched with a glaze of lapis lazuli (ultramarine) to add luminosity—a technique used in high-status workshops to balance cost and brilliance. The "lively" pale green is malachite, likely brightened with lead-tin yellow.

The burnished gold initials are set against alternating grounds of blue and rose-pink. This principle of alternation extends to the line-fillers; by flipping the sequence of red and blue, the scribe created a visual rhythm that guided the reader's eye and maintained the "woven" density of the text block.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 19 x 13.3 cm

Lettering (Textual Content):

• Recto: Conclusion of Psalm 142 (Vulgate), beginning with "...spiritus tuus bonus..." Followed by the shorthand for the Gloria Patri and the opening of the antiphon "Ne reminiscaris" ("Remember not, Lord, our offenses"). A final rubric in Middle French, "La letanie", formally introduces the next section of the book.

• Verso: The start of the Litany of the Saints, opening with the Kyrieleyson (Lord have mercy). The text includes the standard sequence of invocations to the Trinity and the Virgin Mary.

Price & Shipping:

AU$598 (approximately US$429.38 / €366.52 / £317.39), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in purchasing this rare illuminated manuscript leaf—please note that the French rubricated words, “La letanie” (the litany), appearing within the otherwise Latin text, may have been intended as a “wake-up” signal for a French lay aristocrat, indicating that the litany had concluded. To inquire, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a PayPal invoice for a secure and seamless transaction.

This manuscript leaf has been sold