BOOK OF HOURS

Facing Pair of finely illuminated leaves from a Book of Hours in Latin, with initial letters in blue, mauve and gold, the right hand one with a beautifully penned border in the outer margin of trailing roses and other flowers, in blue, red, green and gold, together 4 sides 6" x 4½", vellum, Flanders or Northern France, circa

The first leaf contains Psalm 29, 'Exaltabo te Domine', 'I will extol Thee, O Lord', (in the Hebrew and KJV Psalm 30), from verse 3b, 'Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit', to the end at verse 12, 'O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever', the last two letters of 'tibi' being on the second leaf.
The second leaf continues with 'Requiem', the antiphon 'Domine a[bs]traxisti ab inferis animam meam', 'Lord thou hast drawn my soul out of hell', and Psalm 39, 'Expectans expectavi', 'I waited patiently for the Lord', (in the Hebrew and KJV Psalm 40), down to verse 6, '... burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required'.
These are part of the 'Office for the Dead', namely the Vespers, Matins and Lauds of the evening, night and early morning preceding a Requiem Mass and Burial Service. They were also included in books of hours for private use on appropriate occasions.

Item Date:  1450

Stock No:  56522      £750

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