DOI: 10.25549/rbm-ouc113909307
title: [Book of hours, use of Netherlands, Groot Begijnhof van Leuven and/or Ghent]

description: Manuscript codex.; Title derived from place of ownership.; Three blank leaves of parchment precede and four follow text.; Full complete book of hours with calendar and six beautifully designed, illuminated and colored full-page miniatures, encircled by richly decorated and colored borders consisting of flowers and leaves. These miniatures are made for the main devotions and have blank versos. Opposite each miniature a text-leaf with a large 6-line illuminated initial, the text encircled by richly illuminated, colored borders matching those of the miniatures, each of these text-leaves and each miniature framed by a single gilt line-border and colored line-borders. Each page of the calendar with an oblong illuminated, gilt initial, six large five-line illuminated initials, gilt and colored, one at the beginning of each hour of the Virgin.; All pages with these initials have three-side illuminated and colored boards, depicting flowers and leaves. More than one hundred two-line illuminated initials, gilt and colored and numerous one-line gilt initials and one-line colored initials in red and blue. The four leaves of the litany were alternately gilt and rend-and-blue initials to each line, remains of the lines filled out with blue ornamentation. Rubricated throughout. Large, regular script in red and brown. A few leaves with cont. marginal annotations.; Contemporary manuscript annotations on inside back board stating that the book belonged to Grietken Baeckx, who lived in "Groot Begijnhof" in Ghent. The calendar also points to Ghent, since St. Amant, Amelberga and Bavo are emphasized in red. The Latin is influenced by Dutch and the large script also points to the Netherlands.; The miniatures are professionally painted with life-like, long-stretched figures partaking in different ceremonies, often showing a part of a landscale in the background, sometimes through a window, demonstrating early signs of perspective.; Collation: Parchment, fol. i-iii (blank), 87 (10r, 13v, 14r, 17v, 18r, 28r, 49v, 52v, 55v, 63r, and 76r blank), 88-91 (blank).; Layout: Written in 18 lines; ruled in red ink.; Script: Written in gothic miniscule.; Decoration: Six full-page miniatures framed by decorative borders, numerous elaborate six-line initials, and over a hundred of smaller ones in gold and colors; all with marginal extensions.; Full-page miniatures: Fol. 10r: The Crucifiction; fol. 14r: Pentecost; fol. 18r: Virgin and child; fol. 28r: Visitation; fol. 63r: David in prayer; fol. 76r: Funeral mass.; Origin: Production site could have been the Netherlands.; Fol. 1-3 blank --- Fol. 4r-9v: Calendar, complete -- Fol.10r blank, with miniature of the Crucifixion Fol. 10v -- Fol. 11r: Beginning of text, [Hours of the Cross] -- Fol. 14r, blank, with miniature of the Pentacost Fol. 14v -- Fol. 15r: Beginning of text, [Hours of the Holy Spirit]-- Fol. 18r blank, with miniature of the Madonna with child Fol. 18v -- Fol. 19r: Beginning of text, [Maria's Mass] -- Fol. 28r blank, with miniature of the visitation Fol. 28v -- Fol. 29r: Beginning of text, Inapuunt hose beate Marie -- Fol. 63r blank, with miniature of David in prayer Fol. 63v -- Fol. 64r: Beginning of text, [The seven psalms of David] -- Fol. 76r blank, with miniature of a funeral service Fol. 76v -- Fol. 77r: Beginning of text, [Funeral service] -- Fol. 87v: [End of text] Amen.; Contemporary binding in dark brown calf over wooden boards, 4 raised bands on back, creating 5 compartments, in each of which a small gilt ornamentation. Boards with triple blind-stamped line-borders inside which another set of triple blind-stamped line-borders with a small gilt ornamentation in each corner, on back board three of these ornamentations are missing due to the stamping used to create them, likewise a larger gilt central ornament missing on each board, showing the wooden board underneath. All four brass-pieces from the clasps are intact on the boards, but the actual ties are missing. The back has been professionally restored with leather in old style under parts of the sixteenth century leather in order to reinforce it. Binding tight with pieces of contemporary manuscript-leaves showing at the inside of boards.