Book of Hours leaf, c.1460, Italy.: Delightful, assured penwork.

Verso: Twelve lines of text in Latin written in a rounded gothic bookhand on vellum. Ruled in red and rubrics in red. Two two-line illuminated initials 'F' and 'A' alternating in red with blue penwork and blue with red penwork. The penwork is particularly assured with several swirls ending in heart shapes.

Recto: As Verso, with one similar two-line initial 'U'.

Origin: Italy.

Date: c.1460.

Content: The text on Verso beginning at the red initial 'F' reads:

Fidelium Deus omnium conditor, et redemptor animabus famulorum, famularumque tuarum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum:

O God the creator, and redeemer of all the faithful, give unto the souls of thy servants men, and women remission of all their sins:

The initial 'U' on Recto begins the prayer:

Ure igne sancti spiritus renes nostros et cor nostrum, Domine,

(Burn with the fire of the Holy Ghost our loins and our heart, o Lord,)

Condition: The Verso of this small leaf is in excellent condition, beautifully scribed and decorated on high quality vellum. Recto has some ink loss to the text, but it remains legible. The leaf is unconditionally guaranteed genuine.

Notes:Books of Hours were prayer books designed for the laity who wished to emulate the cycle of daily devotions followed by the clergy but without taking actual vows. The contents grew out of the psalter but included a mixed variety of other types of material - hymns, lessons, biblical readings, calendars etc. Its central text is the Hours of the Virgin. There are eight Hours (times for prayer): Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.

"In a kind of bibliophilic jealousy, medieval laypeople sought for themselves a book that paralleled the clergy's Breviary. They found it in the Book of Hours, a book that bestowed direct, democratic access to God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints, unmediated by the Church". Roger S. Wieck. "Painted Prayers".

Size: Leaf: approx. 120x85 mm.