76/1815 [Medieval manuscripts]. (Book of Hours). Northern Netherlands, 2nd half 15th cent. (±1470), use of Utrecht, manuscript in Middle Dutch on vellum, (94) lvs., brown ink on recto and verso, littera textualis, 17 lines in a single column, rubrication in red and blue pen and ink, ruling in brown pen and ink, leaves measuring 13,1x9,4 cm., text measuring 8,2x5,6 cm., 3 large foliate initials in colours and gold, each surrounded by marginal pen flourishes, heightened with colours and gold, depicting flowers, branches, fruits and animals, one large Lombarde-style initial in blue w. penwork in all margins in red and green, all penwork flourishes in the style predominant in the diocese Utrecht, later vellum over boards, in modern board slipcase.

- (Sl.) waterstained in (blank) margin(s), second half of the work worse; (sl.) fingersoiled, mostly at opening and final lvs. of each Hour; some loss of pigment and ink; leaf 46 w. sm. burnhole in text. The manuscript was rebound in modern vellum over boards and w. new endpapers, in the process probably cut short in its outer blank margins, this is proved by the absence of puncture marks used for ruling and visible in the pen flourished borders.

= CONTENTS: Utrecht calendar, probably for the Northern part of the medieval diocese of Utrecht. Saints mentioned in red ink include Poncian (14 Jan.), Agnes (21 Jan.), Philip and Jacob (1 May), Pancreas (12 May), Servaes (13 May), Bonifaes (5 June), Odulphus (12 June), Lebuinus (25 June and 12 Nov.), Martin (4 July), Laurentius (10 Aug.) and Remigius and Bavo (1 Oct.), absent are Metranus (31 Jan.) Jeroen (17 Aug.) and Adalbert (25 June); Hours of the Virgin for the use of Rome; the Short Hours of the Cross; the Penitential Psalms and Litany and the Office of the Dead (shortened version). Furthermore, the manuscript contains a few prayers of St. Francis, prayers to read before, during and after receiving the First Communion and two prayers to the Virgin and private guardian angel "Van dinen eighen enghel". Interestingly the Hours of the Eternal Wisdom are absent. The manuscript appears to be complete, no indications of cuttings were found.

DECORATION: Opening of the Hours of the Virgin, Hours of the Cross and Penitential Psalms indicated with an 8-line capital in blue, together with border around text heightened with gold and provided with intricate marginal decoration in black pen and ink and paint in various colours, occasionally heightened with gold; opening of the Office of the Dead indicated by an 8-line capital in blue with pen flourishes in green and red inside capital and in margins; thirteen 3-line "lombarde"-style capitals in blue with red pen flourishes in the Hours of the Virgin and Hours of the Cross. Contains a curious annot. by an 18th century owner ("dit boek hoort toet Arij (?) Willemse van Heijningen") stating on f.94v "38 prenten anno 1749", perhaps referring to later added images (woodcuts or engravings?), but these "prenten" are not present. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXXII.