Original leaf from a medieval manuscript Book of Hours. 16 and 17 lines of text, ruled in red, written in Latin with dark brown ink on animal vellum.(124 x 90mm).
Major feast days in red (origin of term ‘red-letter day’). Large ''KL'' initials (for KALENDS) are in burnished gold on a deep blue ground with delicate white tracery, surrounded by a red border with delicate white tracery.
Flanders, c. 1450 – produced to follow the English rites, for the English market.
Among the feasts listed are St. Egidii / Giles (1st - In England, 162 ancient churches and 24 hospitals were dedicated to him), St. Bertin (4th – visits to N. France by English ecclesiastics on way to or from Rome late Anglo-Saxon & early Norman periods led to introduction of the cult of Bertin into England), Birth of Blessed Mary (8th), St. Lambert (17th – Patron Saint of surgeons), St. Matthew (21st - Patron Saint of accountants), and St. Michael the archangel (29th - Patron Saint of the sick and those in battle).
Left of the saints’ days are repeating letters A - G called Dominical Letters since they help find Sundays. Far left is a column of Roman numerals i - xix called Golden Numbers to indicate appearances of new moons, & counting ahead 14 days, full moons throughout the year (year + 1; divide by 19; remainder is Golden Number - if zero GN = 19). Finally: each month had 3 fixed points: Kalends (1st day) Ides (middle) & Nones (9th day before Ides). All days in between were counted backwards from these points.
Shipped in archival 14x11'' mat.
