MS. Canon. Liturg. 219

Binding

15th century, end, Italian (as MS.): wood boards with slight inside bevel; dark brown hard polished leather, cuir ciselé, incised with a full-standing ‘plague saint’ within a leafy border on each cover, all in relief on a stippled background – (front) St. Sebastian, pierced with arrows, and (back) St. Roch, holding a staff and displaying the sore on his thigh to a smaller figure; spine with similar leafy decoration; traces of a lost central clasp, once with small squarish fittings and a broad strap; gilt edges, not gauffered; endbands oversewn diagonally in red and green thread. Paste-downs (not flyleaves) of red ‘Dutch gilt paper’ embossed with hunting scenes, added in Italy, late 17th or 18th century (cf. MS. Canon. Liturg. 136). A miniature book, 77 × 55 × c. 45–47 mm. (book closed).

Perhaps partly intended as an amulet against the plague and other perils. It ends with prayers for protection against both plague and shipwreck, also invoking St. Christopher for a male owner.