Item MS105 - Book of hours

Bound manuscript, 327 p.

There are 112 pages with borders, depicting flowers and birds or animals, as well as five large miniatures surrounded by an ornate border of flowers, birds and fabulous beasts. The miniatures depict the descent of the Holy Ghost upon Mary and the Apostles (f. 28), the Annunciation (f. 34), Presentation of Jesus in the temple (f. 74), David and Goliath (f. 94), and death attacking a young woman (f. 116). Many of the illuminated letters are heightened in gold. The book is written on vellum.

The use of the feminine form in the Obsecro te (f. 150) suggests that the book was originally produced for a woman. The earliest known owner was John Scott Whiting (b.1749), whose bookplate is pasted inside the front cover. It is presumed that it passed to his eldest son Matthew (1787-1871), and then to his son Henry (1819-1894), and finally to his daughter Juliette Elizabeth Marie (d.1933). Juliette married Major-General Alfred Turner (1868-1919) in 1902. Turner's bookplate is also in the book.

Manuscript is primarily in Latin with headings and saints names in French. The original description from the dealer indicated that it was 'composed in the style of the School of Tours'. However, the saints' days selected for inclusion in the calendar as well as textual variations in the Office of the Virgin suggest that it was produced for use in the Troyes region of France.