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This precious volume was obviously highly prized by its owner, the French-born King of Navarre, who had his coat of arms painted on no less than twenty folios. Rather than directly commissioning this manuscript from a specific workshop, it seems that Charles the Noble acquired his book of hours -- perhaps ready-made for the luxury market -- while on a trip to Paris in 1404-05. A collaborative effort, six painting styles are evidenced within the pages of this codex, those of two Italians, two Frenchmen, and two Netherlanders. The painter who was responsible for the planning and decoration of the book, and who produced seventeen of the large miniatures, was a Bolognese artist known as the Master of the Brussels Initials. His principal assistant, responsible for most of the borders, was a Florentine who signed his name "Zecho" da Firenze on folio 208 verso.
France, Paris
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum
Codex: 20.3 x 15.7 x 7 cm (8 x 6 3/16 x 2 3/4 in.)
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Each of the four gospels in this book opens on a page with brilliantly illuminated borders depicting the author of the text as well as birds-principally peacocks, symbols of the immortality of the soul-and fountains, representing the fountain of life and the salvation of the soul. This volume consists of 428 leaves with texts in Greek. Its level of sophistication suggests that it was probably written and decorated in a monastery in Constantinople.
Byzantium, Constantinople
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum; leather binding
Sheet: 28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Did you know...
Gospel Books were carried in procession through Byzantine churches.
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
The attenuated figure of Christ on the Cross is flanked by the Virgin and John. The Virgin, whose drapery sweeps in a curve, makes a gesture of grief with her left hand. John's drapery is in violent motion, and his hand is held against his cheek. The scene is placed beneath an arcade of three trefoil arches with coarse fleurons and finials.
The unusual emotionalism of the figures relates to south German works.
The hinges are missing; two holes have been drilled at the top and one at the bottom.
H: 2 1/2 x W: 1 3/4 in. (6.3 x 4.4 cm)
medium: ivory
style: Gothic
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
This tsuba is decorated with roundels depicting dragons. The front contains two partial roundels, while the back has one full and two partial roundels. The roundels are Chinese in styling and reminiscent of Chinese bureaucratic rank badges. The artist seal is prominent on the front. The metal of the tsuba has an unusual surface with an appearance similar to wood grain. One of the secondary holes has been plugged.
Japanese
3 1/16 x 2 13/16 x 3/16 in. (7.7 x 7.18 x 0.42 cm)
medium: sentoku, gold, copper
culture: Japanese
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.