Antiques for Sale > Books, Manuscripts & Autographs

IM-4865: (179x127mm) Original leaf from a medieval manuscript Book of Hours. 16 lines of red-ruled text, written in Latin with dark brown ink in gothic script on animal vellum. One two-line initial in blue & white on burnished gold ground with floral infill; one illuminated one-line initial & two line extenders in liquid gold, on blue or sepia ground. Elaborate panel borders contain a highly decorative floral design with flowers, berries (including strawberries, symbol of perfect righteousness) & acanthus leaves in blue, red, green, pink, burnished and brushed gold.

The miniature painting depicts The Garden of Gethsemane. Christ is shown receiving the Kiss of Betrayal from Judas. On Christ's right is Peter, holding the sword by which he chopped off the ear of the soldier seen on bended knee.  Christ's arm is outstretched as he prepares to heal the soldier. Behind them are the soldiers prepared to take Christ on his prophesied journey.  The faces are beautifully detailed and exquisitely painted.

Western France (Poitou?), c. 1470.  Provenance: From a Book of Hours presented by Count Claude de Fonseque to his sister Countess Helene de Fonseque de Segueres.  Formerly in the collection of Allen Rowland, on deposit at the Beinecke Library, Yale.

The two-line illuminated ''O'' begins a prayer to God, who granted additional years to King Hezekiah (2 Kings, 20:6). The prayer then requests time in which to repent and to be absolved of sins. The rubrics beneath the miniature note the beginning of the Passions of Christ. Gethsemane