Add MS 20859

This highly decorated Middle Dutch prayer-book was produced in the Northern Netherlands around 1500 for a patron who is depicted (a young man holding a rosary and a book) with an (unidentified) coat of arms (argent, on a chrevron azure between three hands gules, a star or) twice in the manuscript’s borders (f. 41r and f. 67v). The Calendar includes saints popular in the Northern Netherlands. The manuscript was also was decorated in this region by a group of artists known as the Masters of the Dark Eyes.

Contents:

ff. 1r-12v: Calendar of Saints (Utrecht calendar; adapted for Holland, indicated by the rubricated name of St Jerome of Noordwijk).

ff. 13r-14r: Diagrams and tables for finding the Dominical Letters.

ff. 15r-16r: Tables for finding the Golden Number (for the years 1498-1519).

ff. 16v-17r: Latin verses in distichs, with rubricated glosses in Dutch, on the influence of the seven planets on mankind's condition, 'Si quis nascatur dum saturnus dominator [etc.]'; followed by a table that links each day of the month to a planet.

ff. 17r-18v: A table explaining the influence of the signs of the Zodiac on the body; followed by a table that links Dominical letters to the signs of the Zodiac.

ff. 20r-30v: The Seven Penitential Psalms, ‘[rubric:] Hier beghinnen die seven psalmen van penitencien [...] [prayer:] Here in dijnre verbulgentheit en strafe my niet [etc.]' [on the text see Het getijdenboek van Geert Grote, ed. by Nicolaas van Wijk (1940), pp. 87-91; Een Diets gebedenboek, ed. by Luc Indestege (1961), pp. 139-45].

ff. 30v-34r: Litany of saints, ‘Heer ontferm dy onser ij. Criste ontferm dy onser .ij. Criste hoer ons ij. [etc.]’.

ff. 34r-36v: Prayer to Christ for remission of sins, 'Wes genaedich . Spaer ons heer [etc.]'.

ff. 36v-39v: Prayer to Christ for remission of sins, '[rubric:] Gebet [prayer:] Ic sprac here ontferm di mijnre . Maec mijn siel gesont want ic di gesondicht heb [etc.]'; followed by a Collect.

f. 39v: Prayer on the Passion: ‘O criste dijn passie cruus nagelen ende doot . tranen speer geisel croen wonden roet. sweet water bloet spiit scemp liden groot [etc.]’.

f. 41r-50r: The 'Golden Rosary of the Virgin Mary,' ‘[gold:] Dit is die gulden rosencrans van onser liever vrouwen [prayer:] Ave Ghegruet sijstu maria vol ghenaden die heer is mitti . gebenedijt bistu boven den wiven ende begenedijt is die vrucht dijns lichaems ihesus Christus Den du vanden heilighen geest ontfinges [etc.]’.

ff. 50r-56r: The Hours of the Virgin Mary, ‘[rubric:] Onser liever vrouwen getide. Ten mettentijt. Ave maria [prayer:] O alre heilichsste maghet maria om dat swaer suchten daer dijn herte om bevede doe du vernaemste dat dijn lieve soen ihesus Christus vanden bosen ioden was gevangen ende gebonden . ende mit verradenissen ghegeven den swaren tormenten [etc.]’.

ff. 57r-63r: The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, ‘[rubric:] Dit sijn die seven weden van onser liever vrouwen [prayer:] Dat eerste wee ende grote droefheit die die lieve moder gods maria hadde . dat was als si haer suete kindekijn ihesus den behouder der werlt inden tempel draghende opten viertichsten dach sijnre geboorten [etc.]’.

ff. 63v-66v: The Mass of St Gregory, ‘[rubric:] Hier na volghen die neghen gebedekijns voer die wapen ons heren ihesu Christi [prayer:] O heer ihesu criste ic aenbede di inden cruce hangende . ende een doornen croen op dijn hooft dragende . Ic bidde di dat dijn cruce mi verlosse vanden slaenden engel. Amen [etc.]’ [on the text see Rudy, Rubrics (2017), pp. 110-14, 292-93].

ff. 66v-70v: The Seven Words of Christ on the Cross, ‘[rubric:] Die seven woorden ons heren [prayer:] Here ihesu criste die daer sprakes seven woorden opten lesten dach dijns levens doe du hingest aen den cruce Op dat ic die seven woorden in mijnre herten holde [etc.]’ [on the text see Een Diets gebedenboek, ed. by Luc Indestege (1961), pp. 30-31].

ff. 70v-74v: Prayers for each of the Five Wounds, ‘Totten vijf wonden ons heren ihesu Christi. Totter rechterhant ons heren [prayer:] Lof ende eer si di here ihesu criste voer die alre heilichste wonde dijnre rechterhant [etc.]’; followed by a Collect. [on the text see Een Diets gebedenboek, ed. by Luc Indestege (1961), pp. 44-46].

ff. 74v-77r: Prayers attributed to St Francis of Assisi, ‘[rubric:] Dit sijn suete franciscus gebedekens Pater noster Ave maria [prayer:] O heer vaderlike coninc hier stae ic voer di als een misdadich mensche . die sijn ziel mit swaren sonden verdoemt heeft [etc.]’.

ff. 77r-79r: Prayer to St Anne, ‘[rubric:] Van sunte anna ghebet [prayer:] O heilighe vrouwe sunte anna eer alre vrouwen . stam der heiliger bloemen . daer die heilige geest heeft op gherust . daer die vrucht der hoochster salicheit heeft of genomen sijn oerspronc [etc.]’; followed by a Collect.

ff. 79r-80r: Prayer for St Anne’s Tuesday, ‘[rubric:] Des dinxdages van sunte anna [prayer:] O gij heilige olders anna ende ioachim . want gij weerdich sijt geworden die salighe vrucht ter werlt te brengen mariam die moeder cristi ons heren [etc.]; followed by a Collect.

ff. 80r-81r: Prayer for St Anne’s Tuesday followed by a collect, ‘[rubric:] Des dinxdages [prayer:] Ghegruet sijste eerweerdige moeder sunte anna . gelikerwijs alstu biste een beghin des nyen testaments alre salicheit . also wilt u geweerdighen te bidden voer dinen liefsten kinde op dat wi een salich leven moeten leiden ende dat volbrengen totter doot toe [etc.]’.

ff. 81r-82r: The Five Joys of St Anne ‘[rubric:] Quinque gaudia [prayer:] Gaude felix anna que concepisti prolem . que erat paritura mundi salvatorem [etc.]’; followed by a Collect.

ff. 82r-82v: Prayer to St James the Apostle followed by a collect, ‘[rubric:] Van sunte iacob apostel [prayer:] O du heilighe apostel sunte iacob stercke kempe godes . overclaer cierheit der apostelscher scharen [etc.]’; followed by a Collect.

ff. 83r-83v: Prayer to St George, ‘[rubric:] Van sunte iorgen . gebet . [prayer:] O heilige ridder ende merteler cristi sunte ioergen . doe dat wi dic lopen om den strijt te winnen moghen ghebruken mitti dat loen des strides dattu verwinnen ende hebste ontfangen van cristo grote kempvechter godes [etc.]’; followed by a Collect.

ff. 83v-84v: Prayer to St Sebastian, ‘[rubric:] Een ghebet van sunte sebastiaen [prayer:] O heilige sunte sebastiaen martelaer ons heren ihesu cristi . seer groot is dijn ghelove . bidt voer ons den heer . dat wi waerdich moeten ghevrijt te worden vander siecten der pestilencien ende der onversiender doot [etc.]’.

ff. 85v-85v: Prayer to St Anthony, ‘[rubric:] Van sunte Anthonius ghebeth [prayer:] O weerde vrient gods sunte anthonius die so vroech in dijnre ionger ioecht begonstes so neerstelic te striden teghen dijn eighen vleisch . ende gode in allen dinen wercken te behaghen . ende in so groter volstandicheit der gheloven mitter cracht Christi hebste verwonnen die nidighe scutten des scalken behendighen viants [etc.]’; followed by a Collect.

ff. 86r-86v: Prayer to St Catherine of Alexandria, ‘[rubric:] Een ghebet van sunte katherina [prayer:] God gruete u gebenedide maget sunte katherina een bruut des ewigen konincs Ic bidde u bider beloften die u god inder stont uwer passien beloefde . dat so wie u aenriep . in wat node ofte tribulacie dat si waren om uwen gebede van gode hulpe vercrighen souden [etc.]’.

ff. 86v-87r: Prayer to St Barbara, ‘[rubric:] Van die heilige ioncfrou sunte barbam [sic] [prayer:] O heilige maghet sunte barbara die in dinen iongen iaren ihesum cristum so begheerlick hebste ghemint ende so swaer pine om sinen wille geleden O salige maghet ic bidde di dat dine verdienten mi moeten in staden staen tot alre tijt . ende moeten mi verwerven voer mijn doot ware berouwe ende puer biecht van alle minen sunden [etc.]’.

ff. 87r-89v: Prayer for the souls in Purgatory, ‘[rubric:] Dit salstu lesen voer dijns vriendes ziel [prayer:] O here almachtighe vader seer ghenadighe god want du een trooster alre bedroefder harten bist der gheenre die in gracien staen . ontferm di over die ziele daer ic arme sunder nu sonderlinge voer begheer te bidden [etc.]’.

[ff. 40r, 49r and 64r are blank].

Decoration:

The manuscript has been decorated by the so-called Masters of the Dark Eyes, the most important group of book illuminators active in Holland between c. 1490 and c. 1510: Add MS 20859 belongs to a group of books of hours that were produced c. 1500 (the so-called 'Marciana Group'). The manuscript includes imagery that was popular among the Masters of the Dark Eyes: e.g. the Holy Kinship, which shows the descent of Christ in the female line. However, it also contains unusual imagery: its highly detailed depiction of the Zodiacal Man can only be compared to that in the Très Riches Heures of Jean de Berry (b. 1340, d. 1416).

8 full page miniatures with full borders with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures against a background in gold or rectangular and diagonal bands in a single colour or gold, with foliate and floral decoration in colours or gold:

f. 17v: The Zodiac Man: a man with visible intestines standing in a ring with the signs of the Zodiac with the personifications of the four temperaments in the corners.

f. 19v: The Last Judgement.

f. 40v: The Virgin Mary with the Christ Child.

f. 49v: The Arrest of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

f. 56v: Our Lady of Sorrows.

f. 64v: The Mass of St Gregory.

f. 67v: Christ on the Cross, with the Virgin Mary below.

f. 77v: The Holy Kinship (St Anne, with the 'Three Marys' and their children).

15 smaller miniatures in colours throughout the manuscript, either with partial (one-sided) borders in gold and foliate decoration in colours, or, when facing a page with a full-page miniature, with full borders with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures against a background in gold or rectangular and diagonal bands in a single colour or gold, with foliate and floral decoration in colours or gold:

f. 57r: The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

f. 58r: The Flight into Egypt.

f. 59r: Christ in the Temple.

f. 60r: The Carrying of the Cross.

f. 60v: The Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist.

f. 61v: The Body of Christ before the Virgin Mary.

f. 62v: The Entombment.

f. 74v: The stigmatization of Francis of Assisi.

f. 82r: St James the Apostle, holding a staff and book.

f. 83r: St George, slaying the dragon.

f. 84r: St Sebastian, martyred.

f. 85r: St Anthony, reading a book.

f. 86r: St Catherine of Alexandria, reading a book.

f. 86v: St Barbara, reading a book.

f. 87r: Souls in Purgatory.

12 smaller miniatures in colours in the lower margins of the Calendar; each consists of two panels with backgrounds in yellow, blue or red: the month's work activity on the left, its Zodiac sign on the right (January-December: ff. 1r, 2r, 3r, 4r, 5r, 6r, 7r, 8r, 9r, 10r, 11r, 12r).

13 historiated initials: Large foliate initials in gold in frames with a background purple with partial (one-sided) borders in gold and foliate decoration in colours, or, when facing a page with a full-page miniature, with full borders with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures against a background in gold or rectangular and diagonal bands in a single colour or gold, with foliate and floral decoration in colours or gold. However, the initials for the Prayer for the Five Wounds follow a different programme (ff. 70v, 71r, 72r, 72v and 73v): these golden (non-foliate) initials are in frames with a purple and blue background; f. 70v has a partial (three-sided) border with white flowers on a purple background; the other initials have the same partial (one-sided) borders as the large foliate initials in gold.

f. 20r: King David praying.

f. 50r: The Flagellation.

f. 51r: Christ before Pilate.

f. 52: The condemnation of Christ.

f. 52v: Christ carrying the Cross.

f. 53v: The Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist.

f. 54v: The Deposition from the Cross.

f. 55v: The Entombment.

f. 70v: The wound in Christ's left hand.

f. 71r: The wound in Christ's right hand.

f. 72r: The wound in Christ's left foot.

f. 72v: The wound in Christ's right foot.

f. 73v: The wounded heart of Christ.

Large foliate initials in gold against a purple background (ff. 41r, 65r, 68r, 78r) with full borders with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures against a background in gold or rectangular and diagonal bands in a single colour or gold, with foliate and floral decoration in colours or gold.

Large golden initials in frames with a purple and blue background, with partial (one-sided) borders in gold and a foliate decoration in colours (blue, red and green) and gold in the lower margin (ff. 21r, 22v, 24v, 26r, 28v, 29r, 30v, 43r, 44v, 46r, 47v)

Numerous small initials in blue and gold throughout the manuscript.