Hours and Prayerbook: MS McClean 99

Titles

Hours and Prayerbook

Maker(s)

Author: Grote, Geert
Scribe: Doetinchem, Geertrudt van

Entities

• Book of hours
• Other

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, iii contemporary parchment flyleaves + 119 fols. + ii contemporary parchment flyleaves, 167 x 123 (112 x 79) mm, 21 – 22 long lines, ruled in black ink.

BINDING: sixteenth century, blind-stamped brown leather over wooden boards, sewn on four supports, central panel with classical busts in medallions on upper and lower cover, traces of two leather straps on lower cover, two catchplates on upper cover, edges gilt and gauffered; repaired and rebacked.

CONTENTS: fols. 1r – 10r Calendar; fols. 12r – 36v Hours of the Virgin; fols. 38r – 41v Hours of the Cross; fols. 43r – 49r Penitential Psalms; fols. 49r – 52r Litany with collects; fol. 52r-v Prayers Als die clocke slaet, Totten name Jesus in die sonne, Tot Maria in die sonne; fols. 54r – 56v Morning prayers; fols. 56v – 57v St Bridget of Sweden, Exempla OR Exempel; fols. 58r – 64r Fifteen Oes;
fols. 64r – 71r Prayers on the Passion and at Mass; fols. 71v – 75v Prayers to the Trinity, Virgin and saints; fols. 77r – 81r Rosary; fols. 81r – 84v Seven Joys of the Virgin; fols. 84v – 85v Five Sorrows of the Virgin; fols. 87r – 91v Seven Psalms of the Virgin; fols. 91v – 94v Litany of the Virgin; fols. 94v – 95r Verses of St Bernard; fols. 95v –103r Devotion on the Crown of thorns; fols. 103r – 104r Prayers on the Sacrament; fols. 104v –112r Prayers to the Trinity, Apostles and All Saints; fols. 112v – 117r Communion prayers; fols. 117r – 118r Ten Commandments; fol. 118r-v Virtues of the Mass.

DECORATION: Six full-page framed miniatures with full strewn-flower borders including birds, grotesques, and occasional scenes on red or brushed gold grounds: fol. 11v Hours of the Virgin, Virgin reading in enclosed garden, God appearing in Burning Bush, unicorn placing horn in Virgin’s lap, Gabriel blowing horn and holding two hunting dogs on a leash; fol. 37v Hours of the Cross, Agony in the Garden, angel in sky carrying Cross; fol. 42v Penitential Psalms, David penitent, angel holding three arrows in sky; fol. 53v Morning prayers, St John writing on Patmos, angel holding sceptre, eagle holding inkpot; fol. 76v Rosary, Rosary-shaped mandorla of beads with Virgin and Child seated on crescent and crowned by angels, below pope, emperor, bishop and cardinal kneeling on left, women on right, shepherdess placing wreath on shepherd’s head; fol. 86v Psalms of the Virgin, Virgin seated at foot of Cross surrounded by seven medallions depicting the Seven Sorrows in grisaille: Circumcision, Flight into Egypt, Christ among the Doctors, Carrying of the Cross, Crucifixion, Pietà, Entombment.

Small framed miniature incorporating initial O: fol. 104v Prayer to the Trinity, Two angels holding monstrance with host.

ORNAMENTATION: Gold initials [10 – 12 ll.] formed of branch-work and acanthus, filled with flowers and jewellery on red or green grounds at main text divisions, with full strewn-flower borders on brushed gold grounds including mock joust (fol. 38r), ape playing psaltery (fol. 54r), and two ladies playing lute and harp (fol. 77r); identical initials [4 ll.] at lesser text divisions; gold initials [1 – 3 ll.] on red and blue grounds or white initials [1 – 3 ll.] on tan grounds; capitals highlighted in red; blue and pink bar line-fillers with liquid gold ornament.

Notes

History note: Copied by sister Geertrudt van Doetinchem, daughter of Engbert, in 1526 (colophon on fol. 118v, the first ‘c’ has been erased to make the date appear as 1426); Jutta van Doetinchem, daughter of Willem van Doetinchem (colophon, fol. 118v); cutting from unidentified English sale catalogue, no. 334 (inside upper cover); Edward Quaile; his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 10-11 May 1901, lot 85 (cutting from sale catalogue inside upper cover); purchased by Frank McClean (1837 – 1904); his bequest, 1904.