Original leaf from a medieval manuscript Book of Hours. Red-ruled for 16 lines of text, written in French in angular batarde script with dark brown ink, on animal vellum. (108x78mm).
Major feast days in red (origin of term ‘red-letter day’). Large illuminated ''KL'' initials (for KALENDS) are in deep blue with delicate red penwork.
Northern France, Use of Amiens, c. 1430-50 – likely written for a noblewoman.
Among the feasts listed are St. Theobald (1st ), St. Thomas (3rd - patron saint of architects), St. Martin (4th - patron saint of soldiers), St. Hilary (16th), St. Margaret (20th - patron saint of women) and St. Mary Magdalene (22nd - patron saint of repentant sinners).
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.
