Illuminated book of hours, in Latin.

8vo, 17,5 x 11,5 cm: [118-1 bl.] ff., vellum, text in a black "littera bastard" or "littera hybrida" on 18 lines, ruled in red, writing area 10,7 x 7,5 cm).

Mod. brown calf, boards orn. "à la Duseuil", gilt-orn. spine with raised bands, gilt edges.

Content: Calendar, Gospels of the Four Evangelists, the Passion by St John, Hours of the Virgin, Hours of the H. Cross and of the H. Ghost, the Seven Penitentials Psalms, Litany of the Saints, the Vigil of the Dead, prayers to Our Lady, to St John, the Holy Trinity and to different Saints as there are Nicolas, Claude, Roch, Margareth, Katherine...
Illumination: 14 large gold heightened miniatures in vivid colors, within Renaissance-styled architectural frames (13,5/14 x 10,5 cm), each on 4 to 9 lines of text, figuring St John on Patmos, Jesus betrayed by Judas, Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Adoration of the Sheperds, Adoration of the Magi, Presentation of Jesus, Flight to Egypt, Crowning of the Virgin, the Virgin and St John on Golgotha, Pentecost, King David and Bathsheba, and Job on the dunghill. In the margins or in the text, 16 smaller rectangular representations of the Evangelists Luke, Matthew and Mark, the Piëta, the Holy Trinity, SS. Roch, Michael, John Evangelist, John Baptist, Christopher, Sebastian, Anthony, the Consecration, SS. Francis, Anne and Apolonia.
Decoration: 1 large initial "O" of 10 lines figuring a nun praying; numerous initials in gold on red and blue backgrounds and dito line-fillers.
Localization and dating: the miniatures are in the style of the Group Colaud which was active in Paris during the 1st quarter of the 16th century, and particulary very close to the corpus of the "Maître des Entrées parisiennes" and to the "Maître d'Étienne Poncher".
Prov. "Ad alta per laborem" (unidentified mod. armorial bookpl.). - Vente Louis Moorthamers, Bruxelles, 31/03/1973, lot 133.