A calendar for the year 1923, containing twelve plates. The kerver missale romanum a guide to the moldenhauer. Book of hours use of rome in latin, calendar and some rubrics in french, illuminated manuscript on parchment france lyons, c. In thielman kerver s 1507 book of hours, a depiction of the nativity of christ is located in the infancy cycle within the hours of the virgin. The lambeth palace library copy of thys prymer of salysbury use paris, 1534 is a fine example of how the physical evidence left behind in a book by its readers can give us an insight into the times in which they lived. This interdisciplinary study explores its increasing popularity and prestige, offering a full account of the book of hours as a book how it was acquired, how it was read to guide prayer and teach literacy and what it meant to its owners as. Pro anthonio verard, paris 150305 macfarlane 232 comparative. Thielman kerver was a highly successful parisian publisher, whose business continued for generations within his family. Breviarium romanum is the liturgical book of the latin liturgical rites of the catholic church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the divine office i. The contents of printed books of hours is a commonly neglected field in the research of the transitional. Antique manuscripts, maps, prints and antiquities book of hours 1526 complete royal provenance im9712 exceptionally rare complete parisian book of hours in a fine binding, with royal provenance. From the mid 15th century onwards, a new means of book production developed in western europe following the invention of the printing press. Antique manuscripts, maps, prints and antiquities book of hours 1526. A book of hours was a prayer book containing appropriate prayers for specific hours of the day, days of the week, months, and seasons.
The kerver familys activity in the parisian printing industry goes back to the 1490ssome twenty years after the first book was printed in the citywhen thielman kerver ier ran an active business in the publication of religious works, such as books of hours. These prayers were to be said at seven or eight hours a day psalm 119. With the growing importance of the vernacular during the renaissance, however, printers began using french in a limited way in the books of hours, including all or part of the calendar pages, and captions for the fullpage illustrations, as is the case in the 1540 hours printed by the widow of thielman kerver. Thielman kerver, 1526 octavo 175 x 105 mm, printed on vellum, ruled in red. Books of hours were usually beautifully illuminated, and some of the more notable ones are among. A lovely copy of this very rare book of hours finely printed on vellum by simon vostre, stunningly and profusely illustrated with two suites of full page woodcuts, a smaller set of woodcuts in the text and a remarkable set of woodcut borders including a complete dance of death masculine and feminine all based on designs by jean pichore and. Book of hours leaf, kerver, thielman old world auctions. Senior capstone students present research on 16thcentury. Books of hours from les enluminures browse recent arrivals. Annotations to the calendar and the final leaf suggest that it came from one of the orders abbeys in yorkshire. The kerver book of hours is also on display this fall and winter terms in the librarys first floor elevator lobby during the hours that special collections is open, monday through friday.
The contents of printed books of hours is a commonly neglected field in the research of the transitional period between late medieval thinking and the rapid developments in mentality, following the implementation of printing. Antique manuscripts, maps, prints and antiquities book of hours and calendar, c. Around fifty years after it was printed it belonged to the augustinian abbey of saint gertrude in leuven, where it was bound. University of virginia library online exhibits the.
Impressum parisiis anno domini millesimo quingentesimo primo ad idus februarias. This edition contains exactly the same woodcuts as the roman hours printed by kerver, sept. Medieval in conception, characteristically every page of the hours had a full border, often made up of many small wood or metalcuts, the two. The content of books of hours was never officially standardized so there is quite a bit of variation in both contents and order. This book of hours on parchment is the among the very first examples printed by thielman kerver for guillaume eustace. A calendar for the year 1923 containing twelve plates representing the twelve ages of man which appeared in a book of hours printed thielman. This concrete example was taken from the calendarsection the month of. Printed book on parchment, in latin and french, paris, thielman kerver for guillaume eustace, 14 november 14971498, dimensions 190 x 125 mm. Books of hours horae, also called primers, were books of private. Lavishly illustrated and printed on vellum, this copy from the library of edward arnold. Many practitioners in the book trade made their livelihood substantially or, in the case of the brothers gillet and germain hardouyn, almost entirely by printing books of hours. The unicorn refers to the double unicorn printers device, or mark, that kerver printed on the title page of his publications beginning in 1497. A calendar for the year 1923 containing twelve plates.
A calendar for the year 1923, containing twelve plates representing the twelve ages of man which appeared in a book of hours printed by thielman kerver in paris in mcxxii i. First, it is the only printed missal of the cistercian rite with a known. The printers at that time used the same type of letters that were used by the scribes, so the result looked like a manuscript. A book of hours is a prayer book containing those prayers that a good christian should say. A book of hours was the essential guide to devotion for a literate catholic layman of the late middle ages, from the late 14th century to the early 16th.
When thielman kerver printed this book of hours in 1507 he likely imagined it. A rare vellum leaf from a book of hours, made during the transitional period when printing and illumination were combined. His output of hours was limitedfor example, lacombe lists eight books of hours by eustace compared to some 50 recorded as being published by simon vostre. His designs were subsequently used by publishers simon vostre, thielman kerver guillaume eustache, germain and gillet. Its content was essentially liturgical, but selected with the reality of a laymans practical, spiritual and intellectual ability for prayer in mind. A calendar for the year 1923 containing 12 plates representing the twelve ages of man which appeared in a book of hours printed by thielman kerver in paris in mcxxii mdxxi, reprinted by yolande bonhomme. A deplorable example of such extravagance is presented by a sarum horae of thielman kerver printed at paris in 1510, in which we find such assertions as the following. The book of hours was a bestseller in medieval and early modern europe, the eras most commonly produced and owned book. A stunningly illustrated book of hours very finely printed by yolande bonhomme the widow of thielman kerver, with three remarkable suites of woodcuts. Alexander the vi pope of rome hath granted to all them that say this prayer devoutly in the worship of st. Around fifty years after it was printed it belonged to the augustinian abbey of saint gertrude in leuven.
Tradition and invention in thielman kervers last book of hours. Kervers book of hours was printed on vellum, or calf skin, and features colorful handilluminated initials throughout. In thielman kervers 1507 book of hours, a depiction of the nativity of christ is located in the infancy cycle within the hours of the virgin. Anne and our lady and her son jesus v thousand years of pardon. Hours of the cross and hours of the holy spirit, v. Placement of this image in the hours of the virgin in the prime section, which was used during the early morning, included devotion to psalms 50, 62, and 89, as well as the nativity scene. Containing twelve plates representing the twelve ages of man which appeared in a book of hours printed by thielman kerver in paris in mdxxii. Featuring original antique maps, charts, atlases, engravings, prints and reference books.
Jacques kerver was the brother of thielman kerver ii see renouard, 1965, p. Printed by yolande bonhomme, the only female printer in paris and daughter of the famous printer and bookseller, pasquier bonhomme. A striking example of a printed book of hours by one of the masters of the genre, thielman kerver. Kervers 1510 hours in newberry library wing ms zw 5351. Books of hours almost always open with a calendar of the church year, listing. For more information or to visit special collections, please email us. A book of hours is a prayer book containing those prayers that a good christian should say at the right hours of the day, and on the right days of the year, in the late middle ages. Book of hours 1526 complete royal provenance im9712. The genealogy of the present book of hours should be related to two previous imprints.
In the early 16th century, he published several books of hours that conceptually followed the segmented border format used in the manuscript shown nearby. The volume was issued on 19 june 1525 from the printing house established by the renowned publisher thielman kerver and led, after his death in 1522, by his widow yolande bonhomme, who became in turn one of the major parisian publishers of books of hours. On the catholic art of the printed book onepeterfive. Book of hours illuminated prayer book for the wealthy. A remarkable, profusely illustrated parisian edition of the book of hours. This is followed by an almanac and then the liturgical calendar. These two kerver incunabula seem to follow the general layout of most books of hours, which is.
Illuminated page from a french book of hours, thielman. Master of the ango hours paints the book of hours for the use of rouen. In this thesis, i have looked to two bodies of literature to reconstruct the identity of kervers books of hours. A book of hours generally contains a calendar of the church year, excerpts from the gospels, and a cycle of psalms and prayers to be observed at various times through each day and on particular occasions.
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