Description
Middle Dutch translation of Geert Grote, illuminated manuscript on vellum, c. 14,2 x 10 cm, 18th-c. goldtooled red morocco, covers with gilt flowery ornamental border and central decoration (bottom edge of front cover skilfully repaired), richly gilt spine on 5 raised bands, gilt sides, mod. marbl. endpapers; kept in a nice leather box signed Renaud Vernier, Maître d’Art, 2001 (with hinging parts), and in a slipcase with gilt leather label, [227] ff. (26 quires of 8 ff., and the last one of 6 ff.; lacking 5th f. of quire 3), incl. 14 full-page miniatures on inserted leaves, 17 ll., ruled in pale brown ink (written space c. 7,7 x 5,5 cm), written in brown ink in a littera textualis libraria. Well preserved (some soiling in calendar and bottom corners). A rare nice complete vernacular manuscript from the Eastern Netherlands decorated by a Utrecht Master. Text: Calendar (use of Utrecht, with months’ names in Latin, ff. 1r-12v), Hours of the Virgin (ff. 15r-63v), Long Hours of the Holy Cross (ff. 65r-102v), Hours of the Eternal Wisdom (ff. 104r-129r), Long Hours of the Holy Spirit (ff. 129v-149r), Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany (ff. 151r-172r), Long Office of the Dead (ff. 173r-214r), Prayers (ff. 214r-225r), religious "lists" (Ten Commandments, Seven Deadly Sins, etc., ff. 226r-227v). Origin: one of the “Sarijs” manuscripts made in (or near Zwolle) by copyists of religious houses linked to the "Devotio Moderna", and illuminated by a Utrecht miniaturist. Decoration: rubrics and several feasts in Calendar in red; red underlining of reading instructions; line fillers of Litany in blue or gold-and-blue; many 1(-3)- line gold or blue initials with blue or red penwork; seven 9-line initials in blue or salmon (or combined) with extended penwork decoration, some on a field of burnished gold (containing in the eye i.a. a large peacock (f. 15r), a little dragon (f. 65v) or flowers). The border decoration includes vegetative and animate motives, including half-length angels holding ink sprays (f. 15r), 2 birds (f. 65v), 4 small monsters with a man’s head (f. 104r & 174r), a dragon (105r), a bear (129v), and 2 half-length angels holding shields with Instruments of the Passion (151r). Illumination: 14 full-page miniatures in full borders (4 facing a 9-line initial, 9 facing a 4/5-line inital), all within a frame with a gold outer band and a salmon inner band. Subjects: Annunciation (f. 14v), Angels singing (f. 26r), Crucifixion (64v), Betrayal and Arrest (74v), Christ before Pilate (80r), Flagellation (83v), Carrying of the Cross (87v), Crucifixion (91r), Lamentation (94v), Entombment (99v), Christ the Saviour (103v), Pentecost (130r), Last Judgement (150v), Funeral Service (189v). The miniatures are in the style of the Utrecht Master of the Boston “City of God”, and are apparently closely related to those in Ms. Frankfurt, SUB, germ. oct. 33 or share features with e.g. Ms. The Hague, KB, 131 G 4. Provenance: "Jan Thyssen" (17th c., f. 196v).
