Double-sided; hand-illuminated with partially gilded backgrounds, a very small miniature, and borders with flowers, strawberries, and birds. Illumination depicts the vision to the shepherds, surrounded by various plants and birds.

Leaf from a Book of Hours (recto and verso), late 15th century

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Manuscript books could be purchased from a given workshop in various levels of quality. The colorful leaf seen here shows an ingenious method of producing a pleasing book using artists of middling skill. By breaking the border down into small sections, the master could have an assistant copy relatively simple units of decoration in ever varying combinations. It is also interesting to note that the artist probably copied the tiny picture of the praying figures from another manuscript and since it was not designed as an initial, he crammed the "D" into the upper right corner.

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Details
Title
Leaf from a Book of Hours (recto and verso)
Role
Artist
Accession Number
P.16,926
Provenance
Dwight and Helen Minnich
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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Double-sided; hand-illuminated with partially gilded backgrounds, a very small miniature, and borders with flowers, strawberries, and birds. Illumination depicts the vision to the shepherds, surrounded by various plants and birds.