Medieval History
I am not expert enough to know if this is the manuscript's original binding.* I'd be surprised if it is. Whenever it was was bound, the binding of this Book of Hours is absolutely gorgeous. Dark green, embossed velvet with floral designs. Such a fitting cover for the even more glorious images inside! It smelled inky and old.....a heady smell :)
The binding is crackly, and broken at the back, but the pages are still bound tightly.
The first information the reader finds is a modern evaluation of the book's value, and where it may have been originally created and kept. This was probably written recently, either before the library acquired it, or perhaps written by a librarian afterward. According to this information, the book is a 'rare fifteenth century Book of Hours, use for Rheims' (I'm assuming it may have been in the cathedral or bishop's library in modern times?). 157 leaves of vellum, only one page missing (which creates all sorts of speculation in my mind - why one leaf? What did it have on it? Must have been deliberate as the book's binding is still so tight). The book's worth is $125,000. Which sort of surprised me. That means someday I could take out a loan and buy one for myself, right :)?
The next page....
....presents the reader with a sonnet, written in beautiful calligraphy. The last line of the poem, and the tiny script in the foliage above the capitals, reads 'Vraye Amour l'Ame nous y alse." I did not have enough time in the library to read through the poem, and my three children have made sure not to give me much time now, so I haven't deciphered the poem. It wasn't one I recognized right away. But it seems like a good excuse to pull out my French dictionary, and maybe pull in the expertise of some of my old French professors.
The next blog post will be about the following page in the book, another appraisal, this one written in 1820, which both creates and answers some questions, so stay tuned!
*Dr. Hurlbut has informed me that the binding is not original, probably from the 19th century neo-Gothic.
- Old Books Hide Even Older Secrets From Middle Ages
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- Ltpsc Book Of Hours: Annunciation And Visiting Elizabeth
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- Ltpsc Book Of Hours: An 1820 Appraisal, Calendar Of Days, And St. Matthew
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- Ltpsc Book Of Hours: Introduction
As a medievalist, I have gone through my studies with many unanswered questions regarding illuminated manuscripts. Text books can only take the intrepid scholar so far. What do the bindings look like? What does vellum actually feel to the touch, how does...
Medieval History
LTPSC Book of Hours: Binding and Bonus! A Sonnet!
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| Copyright L. Tom Perry Special Collections |
The binding is crackly, and broken at the back, but the pages are still bound tightly.
The first information the reader finds is a modern evaluation of the book's value, and where it may have been originally created and kept. This was probably written recently, either before the library acquired it, or perhaps written by a librarian afterward. According to this information, the book is a 'rare fifteenth century Book of Hours, use for Rheims' (I'm assuming it may have been in the cathedral or bishop's library in modern times?). 157 leaves of vellum, only one page missing (which creates all sorts of speculation in my mind - why one leaf? What did it have on it? Must have been deliberate as the book's binding is still so tight). The book's worth is $125,000. Which sort of surprised me. That means someday I could take out a loan and buy one for myself, right :)?
The next page....
 |
| Copyright L. Tom Perry Special Collections |
 |
| Copyright L. Tom Perry Special Collections |
The next blog post will be about the following page in the book, another appraisal, this one written in 1820, which both creates and answers some questions, so stay tuned!
*Dr. Hurlbut has informed me that the binding is not original, probably from the 19th century neo-Gothic.
- Old Books Hide Even Older Secrets From Middle Ages
The book before me is huge and heavy, bound, not in paper or cardboard, but with planks of solid oak, held together by thick cords. It looks like a prop from a fantasy film. It?s actually a Latin dictionary, published in the early 1700s. It?s normally...
- National Library Of Wales Creates Website For 15th Century Manuscript
A colourful medieval manuscript that depicts the story of Alexander the Great is now available online from the National Library of Wales?s website. Peniarth 481D, one of the most elaborately decorated medieval manuscripts in the Library, has survived...
- Ltpsc Book Of Hours: Annunciation And Visiting Elizabeth
Copyright L Tom Perry Special CollectionsAnnunciation, Mary praying on her prie dieu, the angel and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove to the left. Copyright L Tom Perry Special CollectionsDetail of the capital, no larger than a quarter. Absolutely...
- Ltpsc Book Of Hours: An 1820 Appraisal, Calendar Of Days, And St. Matthew
After the mysterious sonnet, there is an appraisal written in 1820. The author of this page believed the book was in the inventory of the royal house of Burgundy, through the Duc de Berry, brother Charles le sage. The author writes that the Book of Hours...
- Ltpsc Book Of Hours: Introduction
As a medievalist, I have gone through my studies with many unanswered questions regarding illuminated manuscripts. Text books can only take the intrepid scholar so far. What do the bindings look like? What does vellum actually feel to the touch, how does...