Hours: MS McClean 68

Titles

Hours

Maker(s)

Artist: Mercati, Venturino d’Andrea da Milano

Entities

• Book of hours
• Use of Rome

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, i modern paper flyleaf + i modern parchment flyleaf + 340 fols. + i modern parchment flyleaf + i modern paper flyleaf, 110 x 77 mm (57 x 40 mm), 13 long lines, ruled in brown ink, catchwords

BINDING: Nineteenth century, brown morocco over wooden boards, unidentified arms and motto Carpe Diem stamped on both covers, edges gilt and gauffered.

CONTENTS:
fols. 1r–12v Calendar
fols. 13r–133v Hours of the Virgin
fols. 134r–142r Mass of the Virgin
fols. 142v–143r Rubric on Ember Days (in Italian)
fols. 143v–144r Twelve Articles of Faith (in Italian)
fols. 144r–145r Six Articles of Faith (in Italian)
fols. 145v–146r Ten Commandments (in Italian)
fols. 146v–147r Seven Sacraments (in Italian)
fol. 147v Seven Deadly Sins (in Italian)
fol. 148r Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (in Italian)
fol. 148r Seven Works of Corporal Mercy (in Italian)
fol. 149r–149v Seven Works of Spiritual Mercy (in Italian)
fol. 150v Seven Cardinal Virtues (in Italian)
fols. 151r–153v Prayers to St Sebastian and against the plague
fols. 154r–198v Long Hours of the Cross
fols. 198v–202v Short Hours of the Cross
fols. 202v–206r Prayer on the Seven Last Words
fols. 206r–215r Prayer Sancta maria madre del nostro signore
fols. 216r–289v Office of the Dead
fols. 289v–292r Dies irae
fols. 292v–293r Prayer against the plague
fols. 293r–295r Prayer Gaude virgo mater Christi
fols. 296r–329r Penitential Psalms and Litany
fols. 329r–332v Rubricated prayers, O Domine Iesu Christi adoro te
fols. 332v–335v Ten verses of St Bernard
fols. 336r–337v Prayers at Communion, Signore mio dolcissimo (in Italian)
fols. 337v–340r Prayers of the Communicant, Signore e dio padre (in Italian)

DECORATION: Six historiated initials in pink, with white foliate patterns and stylized acanthus extensions on gold grounds, gold bars framing the text space on four sides, and full floral borders: fol. 13r Hours of the Virgin, Matins, [D, 8 ll.] Virgin and Child, with arms of the Spannocchi family (Piccolomini branch) on the left and arms of the Nini
family (Trecerchi branch) on the right in lower border; fol. 134r Mass of the Virgin, [S, 8 ll.] Assumption of the Virgin; fol. 157r Long Hours of the Cross, [D, 7 ll.] Christ as Man of Sorrows; fol. 198v Short Hours of the Cross, [P, 6 ll.] Cross within rays; fol. 216r Office of the Dead, [D, 9 ll.] Skull and bones; fol. 296r Penitential Psalms [D, 8 ll.], David penitent.

ORNAMENTATION: Blue, green or pink initials [5–9 ll.] with white or yellow foliate patterns and stylized acanthus extensions on gold grounds at major text divisions; gold initials [2–5 ll.] on green, blue and dark pink grounds with foliate extensions for lesser text division; alternate blue and red penwork initials [2–5 ll.], some parted, with red or blue pen flourishing; alternate red and blue one-line penwork initials; black and red foliate penwork line fillers; blue paraph marks; capitals highlighted in red or yellow (fols. 206r–215r only).

Notes

History note: Arms of the Spannocchi family (Piccolomini branch) on the left and arms of the Nini family (Trecerchi branch) on the right in the border of fol. 13r; motto Carpe Diem and unidentified shield of arms, party per pale, dexter, a cross fleury between four stars, sinister, a chevron between three hands, on both covers; acquired by Frank McClean (1837–1904) in Bologna (James 1912a, 138); his bequest, 1904.