Book of Hours Leaf - c 1450-75 - O Intemerata - France

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Original leaf from a medieval manuscript Book of Hours. 15 lines of hand-ruled text written in Latin on animal vellum in brown ink. (184 x 125mm – 7 ¼ x 4 7/8’’) 

The panel borders contain a highly decorative floral design with flowers, berries, and acanthus leaves in blue, red, green, pink, and burnished gold.  This leaf was expertly patched/extended when originally prepared. It can be seen in the upper right corner, above the illuminated panel border (approximately 1 1/8 x 2 1/8''). 

France (Anjou), Use of Angers, c. 1450-75.

This leaf continues the popular medieval prayer, the O Intemerata -  a prayer which stresses the faithfulness of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist during the Crucifixion:  “Et a tentationibus…” (And from the temptations of the devils of the world and of the flesh, so that I do not serve further the devils whom I have served in the multitudes of my wickednesses, namely, in pride, vainglory, covetousness, envy, wrath, gluttony, sloth, luxury, and the countless other sins of omission by which I have sinned and have caused others to sin. Through my sin, my sin, my most grievous sin. Because of these sins I have lost the kingdom of heaven and the company of angels and as often as I have offended against thy most godly son, so often have I also delighted the worst devils and deserved eternal torments; so often through my sin, my sin, my most grievous sin. Therefore I beseech thee, Mother of God and perpetual ever virgin Mary, that thou obtain for me indulgence and remission of all those and other sins, whatever I have done, from him thy Son from whom all good things proceed, by whom all things are made, who also illuminates every person who comes into this world:,…).

Angers was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of Rene of Anjou, (1434-80). When this leaf was scribed the two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty, House of Lancaster & House of York, were engaged in the War of the Roses.

Presented in an archival 14 x 11'' mat

  • Inventory# IM-12558
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