MS 5: Book of Hours (Italy, last quarter of the 14th century; Latin)

Description

MS 5 is a Book of Hours originating from Florence, Italy and a with a dating to the last quarter of the 14th century. It consists of 241 leaves written in a Gothic script influence by the littera Bononiensis. The main text appears in a layout of 1 column and 12 rows of text. The manuscript was once in the library of Cardinal Etienne-Charles Lomenie de Brienne in the 18th century, was in the possession of Angela Keen in the 19th century, and was eventually donated to the Syracuse University Library Department of Special Collections by the Burlingame Estate. The text includes a calendar, the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary (including the Gospel readings), an Office of the Dead, the Penitential Psalms, Litany and related prayers, Office of the Passion of Jesus Christ, and Office of the Cross. Major decoration consists of 4 miniatures and 4 historiated initials. The miniatures are characterized by a dark blue background and somber-looking figures. One interesting miniature placed at the beginning of the Office of the Dead has been identified as a scene from Dante's Purgatory, XIV. The historiated initials are set against a gold background and decorated with feather-like foliage. On the same page as the historiated initial of the Madonna and Child is an unidentified coat of arms probably belonging to the original patrons/owners of the MS. Minor decoration includes decorated catchwords at the bottom of the pages and various ornamented capitals.

Index of Selected Images from MS 5

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f.13r, Virgin & Child; Coat of Arms

f.41r, Decorative Initial

ff.104v-105r, 3 Men & 1 Women (scene from Dante's Purgatory); Historiated Initial; accompanying text

ff.104v, 3 Men & 1 Women (scene from Dante's Purgatory)

ff.168v-169r, David & Goliath; Initial: David; accompanying text

f.168v, David & Goliath; Initial: David

ff.201v-202r, Crucifixion; Initial: Man of Sorrows; accompanying text

f.201v, Crucifixion; Initial: Man of Sorrows

ff.225v-226r, Decorative Catchword & Initial

ff.234v-235r, St. Mary Magdalene embracing the foot of the Cross; & accompanying text

ff.234v, St. Mary Magdalene embracing the foot of the Cross

ff.235v-236r, Decorative Border & Initial; Prayer to God the Father

Detailed Multilevel Description

Index of Medieval Manuscripts

Image	Links and descriptions
Shelfmark	MS 5, Syracuse University Library, Department of Special Collections.
Composite MS?	No.
Total Folios	ff. i + 239 + i
Outer Dimensions	12 x 8 cm.
Physical Issues/Binding	Brown-red leather binding. Single clasp.
Provenance	Cardinal Etienne-Charles Lomenie de Brienne (1724-1794); Angela Keen (owner in 1887?); Burlingame Estate.
Bibliography	Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Medieval Art in Upstate New York. Syracuse, NY: Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse and Onondaga County, 1974. [pp.98-99].
Provenance	An inscription on the recto of the front flyleaf states that the MS. was once in the library of the Cardinal Etienne-Charles Lomenie de Brienne (1727-1794) and in 1887? was given to Miss Angela Keen from Mr. R. Silvermiore?. The bookplate on the inside cover is that of the Syracuse University Library/Rarebook Department (now known as the Department of Special Collections) and indicates that MS 5 was a gift of the Burlingame Estate.
Source	Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Medieval Art in Upstate New York. Syracuse, NY: Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse and Onondaga County, 1974. [pp.98-99]. -- In house files and catalog information. -- Notes and observations of Jennifer Casten.
Inputter/Reviser	Jennifer Casten
Part Number	Pt. I, Calendar and Hours.
Support	Parchment.
Span of Folios for Part	Pt. I: ff. 1r-239v.
Country	Italy.
City	Florence. This is based on the inclusion of the feast of St. Reparata in the calendar for October 8; the reversal of scenes at the Penitential Psalms and using the scene of David killing Goliath as the full page miniature; and the miniature at the Office of the Dead which appears to portray a scene from Dante’s Purgatory XIV, 145-151).
Document?	No.
Dated?	Yes.
Date	Last quarter of the 14th century, based on the Gothic script which shows the influence of the littera Bononiensis.
Layout	The calendar pages appear to have been ruled using a rake (indentations in the paper). It has 6 vertical and 19 horizontal lines, 18 rows of text in five columns. Special feasts are indicated in red ink, the remainder remain in black. The rest of the text is ruled (in ink) with 2 vertical and thirteen horizontal lines, 1 column and 12 rows of text. Catchwords ornamented with foliage design, can be found in the bottom margins.
Script	Gothic, influenced by the littera Bononiensis.
Representational Decoration	This MS contains 4 full-page miniatures and 4 historiated initials. The miniatures can be characterized by the dark blue background for most of the scenes depicted. The historiated initials will have the letter in one color, often with an inside border in another color, decorated with feather-like foliage of one or more colors, set against a gold rectangular background, and inhabited by an image. The first example of a historiated initial is that of the Madonna and Child (13r). A coat of arms also appears on this folio which illustrates a blue diagonal band across the image of a castle (?) against a dark background. The first full page miniature (104v) is a scene of two men, and one women holding a yellow bird on her wrist, following another man who is pointing or leading the way. The facing folio (105r) contains a historiated initial illustrating the upper part of a skeleton with arms crossed. The next full page miniature is that of David slaying Goliath (168v). David is depicted in armored soldier gear, with sword in right hand, the head of Goliath in his left, the body of Goliath at his feet, and his slingshot nearby on the ground. On the facing folio (169r), a historiated initial is inhabited by David playing an instrument. In the scene of the Crucifixion (201r), only Christ on the cross is shown shedding his blood, with no observers present, but the lance and sponge are shown, as well as the skull under the rock of Golgotha. The historiated initial on the facing page depicts the Man of Sorrows, an image of Christ showing his wounds. The last full-page miniature (234r) shows a woman in a red garment with white cloak, probably Mary Magdalene, embracing the foot of the cross.
Other Decoration	Ornamented capitals appear in different varieties: 1 row high, blue or red initials; 2 row high, red with blue scroll-like design or blue with red design; or more elaborate initials of a variety of colors including gold and decorated with acanthus foliage extending upwards and downwards into the margins (e.g., 41r). Catchwords appearing in the bottom margins of folios are also highlighted with ornamental foliage.
Notes (Part Level)	Date and location information are contributions of Professor Sheila Edmunds, Wells College, and Professor Kenneth Pennington, Syracuse University from Medieval Art in Upstate New York.
Span of Folios for Text	Calendar: ff. 1r-12v; Office of the BVM, including the Gospel readings: ff. 13r-103r; Office of the Dead: ff. 105r-167v; 7 Penitential Psalms: ff. 169r-186v; Litany and related prayers: ff. 186v-200r; Office of the Passion of Jesus Christ: ff. 202r-233v; Office of the Cross: ff. 235r-239v.
Supplied Title	Book of Hours.
Status of Text	Misbound: end of the Office of the Cross is placed at the beginning.
Incipit	[Immediately following calendar:] "Domine labia mea aperies..."
Language(s)	Latin.

Citations

Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Medieval Art in Upstate New York. Syracuse, NY: Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse and Onondaga County, 1974. [pp. 98-99]