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IM-2447: (185x118mm) Original leaf from an important printed & hand-illuminated Book of Hours. Ruled Latin text, printed in red & black on animal vellum. Initials, paragraph markers & endings illuminated by hand in gold, on grounds of blue and/or magenta.

 Noted for its DECORATIVE BORDERS - the paneled surrounds are historiated or inhabited. The two panels on the left (verso) tell the story of The Prodigal son with the text beneath  in red, and from Luke 15:11-12 & 13: “Homo…” (A certain man had two sons…).

Printed by Philippe Pigouchet. The metal cuts were designed by the Master of Anne de Bretagne. Produced by Nicolas Higman for Simon Vostre in Paris, Use of Rome, c. 1512. Provenance: ex C.W. Dyson-Perrins collection   (noted English collector of the late 19th & early 20th centuries).

The full-page panel depicts David and Uriah. The two-line “D” opens Psalm 6 (complete): “Domine…” (O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation…).

Books of Hours are personal prayer books of a devout, status-conscious society - not only works of art, but cultural documents of their time. They reveal a unique combination of sacred & secular imagery - made of the finest materials, by the best craftsmen, for a small audience, which could both appreciate & afford them. In purpose & format, printed Books of Hours followed the older manuscript examples. The more luxurious were printed on vellum, as is this specimen.