Horae.

This material is held atNational Library of Wales / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru

Reference
- GB 210 NLW MS 23731A [RESTRICTED ACCESS].
Alternative Id.
Dates of Creation
- [15 cent., first ½]
Language of Material
- Latin Catalan Latin, with a few rubrics in Catalan.
Physical Description
- i, 167 ff. (ff. 27 verso, 140 verso left blank by scribe; i and 167 are modern flyleaves) : parchment ; 95 x 70 mm. (written space 60 x 40 mm.)
  Bound on three bands, in dark brown calf, with traces of gold-tooled centre- and corner-pieces, over wooden boards, with two decorated brass catchplates on upper cover, 16 cent., repaired and rebacked, 20 cent.; pastedowns and endleaves of blue coated paper, [?19 cent., first ½].
Location
- ARCH/MSS (GB0210)

Scope and Content

A book of Hours, of unidentified Use, in Latin with a few rubrics in Catalan, [first half of the fifteenth century], from Catalunya or the Pyrenees, containing Calendar (ff. 1-11 verso), Gradual Psalms (ff. 12-27), the Hours of the Virgin, the Mass of the Virgin (ff. 80-6 verso), the Office of the Dead (ff. 87-140), the Penitential Psalms (ff. 141-56), and Litany (ff. 156-66 verso).
The Calendar includes many saints whose cult was particularly important in Spain and Catalunya, including Agatha, Eulalia (of Barcelona, Feb. 12, and [?of Merida], Dec. 10), Baudelius, Quiteria, Justa and Rufina of Seville, Abdon and Senen of Cordoba, Laurence, Felix of Gerona, Theccla, patron of Tarragona, Callistus, patron of Seville, Cecilia, Barbara; similarly the Litany includes Just and Pastor of Alcala de Henares, Cyricus, Theccla and Eulalia; others, such as Radegunde of Poitiers, Tropimus of Arles and Rufus of Avignon mentioned are associated with south and western France. Prayers to St Eulalia are also included in Lauds (f. 51 verso) and Vespers (f. 74 verso). Rubrics by hand I in Catalan on ff. 85 verso-86 verso crossed out, but mostly legible, confirm provenance in the paísos catalans.

Access Information

Access to the original manuscript by authorised permission only.

Acquisition Information

Sotheby's; London; Purchased at auction, lot 66; 23 June 1998; B1998/23.

Note

Title based on contents.

Collation: 1(12) (wants 1, stubs of two further biofolia visible before f. 1 and after f. 11), 2-3(8), 4(8) (lacks 1 and 8, stub after f. 33), 5(8) (lacks 7, stub visible after f. 39), 6-9(8), 10(8) lacks 8, stub visible after f. 79), 11(8) (lacks 8, stub of another leaf before f. 80), 12(8), 13(8) (lacks 8), 14-15(8), 16(8) (lacks 1 and 8), 17-21(8), 22(3) (f. 164 is a singleton).

Layout: Frame ruling in purple ink (ff. 1-11, 80-6) and pinkish-red ink (ff. 12-79, 87-166). 13 lines (16 in Calendar). No catchwords or visible signatures. Punctuation by single and double punctus.

Script: Written in a semi quadrata textura by two hands: hand I, ff. 1-11, 80-6 verso (quires 1, 11), hand II ff. 12-79 verso, 87-166 verso.

Ink: hand I, light yellowish brown, except ff. 85-6 verso, mid-brown; hand II, dark brown. Rubrics by the same hands, in red.

Decoration: Four-line initials ff. 87, 99, 141, in blue, green and pink on burnished gold grounds, with marginal extensions of foliage and flowers in blue, green and gold; three-line initials in blue and pink or blue and green on burnished gold with marginal extensions of foliage, ff. 53, 61, 65, 68 verso, also on f. 65 with floral extension, and on f. 75 verso without extensions; elsewhere two-line initials in burnished gold on alternate pink and blue grounds, those between folios 13 and 26 heightened with white penwork; versal initials in alternate red and blue with contrasting penwork. Gaps left for two-line initials, ff. 52 verso, 162 verso, and for versal initials, ff. 142 verso, 145. Calendar (ff. 1-11) has two-line initials in burnished gold on alternate pink and blue grounds.

Contents: Calendar (f.1); Gradual Psalms (f. 12); Matins (f. 28); Lauds (f. 40); Prime (f. 53); Terce (f. 61); Sext (f. 63); Nones (f. 65); Vespers (f. 68v); Compline (f. 75v); Mass of the Virgin (f. 80); Office of the Dead (f. 87); Penitential Psalms (f. 141); Litany (f. 156).

Preferred citation: NLW MS 23731A [RESTRICTED ACCESS].

Archivist's Note

July 2010.

Description compiled by Maredudd ap Huw;

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright laws apply.

Custodial History

Later scribbles and pen-trials include 'Nos don Anthonio de soto' (?17 cent.) and 'Luisa' and 'D. Candido' (?18 cent.) on f. 140. Cutting from [Sotheby's] sale catalogue, ?early 20 cent., pasted inside back cover. Red morocco and gilt bookplate of Lawrence Henry Ott, 20 cent., second ½, inside front cover.