Marking the Hours

(Above)Master of the Paris Bartholomeus Anglicus, Book of Hours Use of Paris, In Latin and French, Illuminated Manuscript on Vellum, Anjou or Le Mans, circa 1440s. CHRISTIE’S (Illustration: Artnews, 02/11/2021)

On April 23 you will get a chance to bid on a rare collection of manuscripts and early printed books at Christie’s, New York. I just had the pleasure of perusing this collection on a visit to Christie’s galleries. How precious to people of that age was the printed or written word! With what great care was it presented and preserved! The surprises are many – such as the first complete printed edition of Plato in any language (1484-85, in Latin translation). Most of this edition was printed by the Dominican nuns of San Jacobo di Ripoli, a Florentine convent!

But what probably will interest our readers most is the collection of books of hours – many magnificently illustrated. A book of hours was a medieval devotional book, which started as an abbreviation of the breviary but expanded to include much else beside. It was the most widely disseminated book of the later middle ages – in Latin but also in the vernacular. For the book of hours was not intended primarily for religious. Indeed, after the invention of printing, such volumes become acccessible to a fairly wide range of the population. Eamon Duffy has written an insightful and sympathetic account of late medieval prayer life, its origin, flourishing and end, based upon his study of books of hours and their annotations. (Marking the Hours: English People and their Prayers 1240-1570, Yale University Press, New York and London 2006)

It is amazing to walk past each of these beautifully displayed volumes, which admittedly represent a selection of the more luxurious books of hours. We are entranced by the jewel-like illuminations and the light flashing off the gilt pages. The book can be of incredibly small dimensions. The various liturgical “uses” represented show the diversity of the Roman rite at that time. Yet, as Duffy explains – somewhat contrary to a suggestion in the auction catologue – these books were not merely the status symbols of that time but afford us a glimpse into the private prayer life of the late medieval people.

You can review for yourself each volume in detail – or register to bid on the 23rd. Consult the Christie’s site:

Illuminated Manuscripts and Early Printed Books from the Collection of Elaine and Alexandre Rosenberg

(Estimates for the books of hours range from $30,000 to well over $1,000,000; the incunabula – books printed prior to 1501 – can be much more reasonable)