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This illuminated manuscript,
dating to 1407, is a beautiful example of a "book of hours",
which typically contained prayers and meditations to be performed
by laity at certain times of the day, days of the week, months,
or even seasons.
Books of hours were
the "best sellers" of the 15th century.
They were so popular that their production exceeded that of all
other kinds of manuscripts, including the Bible. |
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| This book of hours
is written in Latin, the language of the medieval church. The
word Illuminated comes from the Latin word illuminare meaning "to
lighten" or "to brighten up". Hence, manuscripts
decorated with gold, silver or bright paints were referred
to as illuminated. Manuscript derived
from the Latin word manus ("hand") and scriptus ("writing"). |
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Written by hand and illustrated with various rich colors and gold
paint, this book's owner was probably an individual of significant
wealth. Although books were beginning to
be mass-produced using the printing
press in
the mid 1400's, hand-drawn books were still widely circulated.
The quality and number of illustrations increased the beauty as well
as the value of the book, which also served as an indication
of an individual's status and wealth in medieval society. This
book also includes hand written prayers inscribed on the inside
cover which indicates
it may have been used by a french speaking person in the
15th century.
| Other
subjects remind the devout of the advantages of living a
moral life. An angel rescues the soul from the devil and
flies with it towards heaven. The devil cannot fly after
them, thwarted by the good deeds of the soul and the protecting
angel. |
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| This
book, like many of the books of hours that were religious
in nature, honored the virgin Mary. |
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Learn
More: Book
of Hours, An Illuminated Manuscript (1922.09.0004)
Most of the artifacts in Artifacts of the Month articles are chosen to allow website visitors to explore artifacts that are not on display in the Museum's galleries. Try searching the database or exploring the Virtual Tour to find artifacts on display.
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