[15th century France]

Illuminated manuscript on vellum. 93 leaves with 3 full-page miniatures and 12 heavily decorated borders with numerous initial letters in red, blue, and gold with other decoration throughout.

Later historic leather binding (assumed 17th-19th century) with gilded stamping on spine with spine title “Heures de Croix” and a later sticker on front cover “manuscrit enluminé (sur velim) (14èm siècle)”. Minor trimming to all edges, rubricated foredges. Stored in a custom brown box from the collector. The manuscript appears in one distinguishable hand written in black ink with red accents. Pigments of decoration include blue, green, pink, purple, and gold leaf with common decoration of foliage, gold dots, flowers and berries.

Contents & Order |Calendar. Hours of the Holy Cross – there is no miniature with this section, which would commonly be a place for a miniature, so a potential loss. 1st miniature depicting the Pentecost—scene of men and a woman in a blue gown gathered around a lectern with book, light through a window and a dove. Text of this section is the Hours of the Holy Spirit; the Pentecost is a common miniature scene for this section. 2nd miniature depicts the Annunciation. Accompanying the Hours of the Virgin. 3rd miniature depicts David in Prayer and marks the beginning of Penitential psalms. The Office of the Dead is included, lacking a miniature, but including an illustrated initial. 

Provenance | Ex libris sticker of Carl Weeks from the Salisbury House Library Collection with collection ID N1 16.5150. Pencil note of a circled “2” on inner front board, coded seller notes on inner back board [93 fl 12 borders 3 minat]. An erasure on the final page may have omitted a previous owner’s name.

Provenance research for this book is ongoing. A Salisbury House inventory suggests a 15th century French origin to this volume. Carl Weeks purchased this book from André Clevi, a Paris based ‘Libraire’ in 1927. In a telegram from July 14, 1927, Clevi offers a “French manuscript vellum fifteenth century ninety-three leaves three large miniatures twelve small trimmed leaves” for five thousand francs. Weeks placed a reservation for the item in October of that year. Following correspondence includes a letter from Ina E. Carlin [IEC], Weeks’ longtime secretary at Armand Cosmetics to the bookseller the following week to purchase the volume as a gift from Armand employees to present to Weeks for Christmas 1927. It arrived in Iowa from Paris in November 1927 and was gifted to Weeks from his employees.

Further Research

  • Further research is needed for more specific attribution of a date and location.
  • Little translation work has been done with this volume. Notes, unique language, or inclusion of certain saints may identify a location of creation.
  • A blank page on the reverse of the second miniature includes a note in a hand different than the scribe – this could potentially be an order to the illuminator directing the image on the reverse or a note from a previous owner. Transcription and translation is needed. The language and hand could also contribute provenance information.
  • Further research into Andre Cleve, the original bookseller could provide more provenance information about this book and its previous ownership, rebinding, or more from its own history.