National Library of Sweden, A 242
Book of Hours (Use of Rome)
Italy, Florence, 15th century, second half.
Parchment
i, 235, i' leaves
120 × 85 mm
Latin
Support
Foliation
Collation
Condition
Layout
Script
Textblock
Hand 1
Textualis formata.Additions
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in brown and black ink, rubrics in red.
The manuscript is decorated with 5 historiated initials and 16 polychrome foliated initials, as well as numerous smaller plain initials.
The larger letters are placed on golden quadrangular fields. They are of Florentine design with wavy blue, green and rose acanthus and have short marginal acanthus stems. They open the canonical hours in each office. The numerous larger pen-flourished letters have straight drawn marginal stems in red and blue with a distinct design at the endings, the top ending in a roundel and the lower part in a horizon-tal ornament. The plentiful one-line high initials have the contrasting pen-flourishment drawn in straight vertical parallel lines. The dominating colours are blue, rose, green, yellow and plenty of gold leaf. All gilt fields are enclosed by black outline. White highlights. Carnation in beige hues. Each of the offices open by a 5-6 lines high historiated letter with figures in close-up and full marginal acanthus borders. The artist depicts shades by modelling the colours. The setting is very simple, placing figures against a blue neutral background. To the right of the historiated letter there is a vertical text plate with the first letters of the office, read vertically in gold. The text over and under the initial is written in blue and golden ink. In the broad rich marginal borders, there are putti, different kinds of birds, deer, lamb, flowers, berries, cornucopia, vases and plenty of gold pollen. f. 13r: two angels, dressed in blue and rose with blue wings and yellow feet, carry a coat of arms (see Origin). A planned letter M on f. 210v was never completed, opening the lauds in Officium mortuorum. There are also some instances where the red rubrics were overlooked and other words omitted.
Iconography:
f. 13r: Madonna and Child (Hours of the Virgin);
f. 104r: David with lyre (Seven penitential psalms);
f. 133r: Man of Sorrows (Major hours of the Holy Cross);
f. 166r: Death (Office for the dead);
f. 229r: Christ Carrying the Cross (Minor hours of the Holy Cross);
ff. 38r–94r, ff. 143r–162r, 230bis–233v: foliate chapter initials over 5 lines.
ff. 1r–234r: Plain initials alternating in gold and blue over 1-2 lines with flourishing in red or blue.
Binding
Modern binding in brown blind stamped leather. Clasp possibly of older date.
Origin
Italy, Florence, 15th century, second half. The calendar mentions the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ (f. 8r), which was instituted in 1457 and provides a terminus post quem for the manuscript. The place of origin is based on the mention of St Zenobius of Florence and St Reparata in the calender (in red for importance) and litany (f. 5v, f. 121v). Furthermore, St Francis and St Catherine of Siena are also marked in red in the calendar, which may indicate a connection to the Franciscan Order.
On f. L1r Per Hierta identifies the coat of arms on f. 13r as being that of the Florence-based Corsini family. However, this particular tincture is not recorded for the Corsini family.
Provenance
Early provenance unknown. At some point during the late 19th/early 20th century the manuscript was acquired by Per Hierta.
Acquisition
Acquired by the National Library from the estate of Per Hierta in 1925.
- Gyllene böcker (1952), p. 91, no. 200.
- Illuminated Manuscripts (1963), p. 15.
