Original leaf from a sumptuously illuminated medieval manuscript Book of Hours. Red ruled for 18 lines of French text in brown ink on animal vellum. (161 x 124mm – 6 3/8 x 4 7/8). Metz, France, c. 1420-30, Workshop of Henri d’Orquevaulx.
Reference: Sister leaves in Cleveland Museum Blackburn Collection – Catalog #s 29-38, pictured. The illuminations from this Book of Hours “appear to derive from the Workshop of Henri d’Orquevaulx, a documented Metz manuscript painter…Compositionally, structurally, and stylistically, the miniatures suggest strong links to Netherlandish illumination…” (Blackburn).
This leaf contains the calendar for September. Among the saints listed are St. Lambert (17th), St. Matthew (21st), St. Michael the Archangel (29th), and St. Mansuetus (Bishop of Toul -3rd ).
Major feast days are in red (origin of term ‘red-letter day’) & gold. Large ''KL'' initials (KALENDS) are in blue & pink with delicate white penwork & floral interior on burnished gold ground. Borders contain an elegant floral motif in blue, red, green orange, pink & burnished gold.
Left of the list of saints’ days are repeating letters A - G (Dominical Letters to 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.
Provenance: Jehan de Poncy & wife Marguerite, c. 1539; Bartlett Gurney of Norwich (d. 1803) – his aunt Catherine Gurney, who gave it to Rev. Edward Edwards of Lynn in 1808; Given to Wm Gurney, nephew of C. Gurney; individual leaves appeared with Edward. R. Lubin, New York, c. 1980's.
Presented in an archival 14 x 11'' mat
