MS. Laud Lat. 84

Decoration

Illumination is related in style to Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS. 83. ML. 99 (MS. Ludwig IX 3, ‘Ruskin Hours’), Chantilly, Musée Condé MS. Lat. 1423 and other manuscripts produced in Cambrai at the end of the 13th to early in the 14th centuries (see A. Bräm, Das Andachtsbuch der Marie de Gavre: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, Ms. nouv. acq. fr. 16251. Buchmalerei in der Diözese Cambrai im letzten Viertel des 13. Jahrhunderts (Wiesbaden: L. Reichert, 1997), ‘Ruskin Hours group’). See also Pächt and Alexander i. 295, pl. XXII.

Blue, pink and red KL monograms on gold backgrounds and borders made of gold, blue and pink bars, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage, animals and birds in the calendar. Man holding a forked staff in the border of the August page (fol. 8v).

Miniatures with the Labours of the Months, in rectangular frames, with parts of the composition sometimes appearing outside the frame:

• January: three-faced Janus, feasting
• February: man warming himself by the fire and cooking in a pot, a heron (?) atop a chimney outside the frame, another in the left margin
• March: man pruning a tree
• April: man carrying flowering branches
• May: man on horseback with a hawk, a dog outside the frame
• June: man mowing hay with a scythe
• July: man carrying wood on his back, two trees outside the frame
• August: man reaping grain
• September: man cutting grapes, another, outside the frame, carrying them in a basket and eating
• October: man sowing, a large sack outside the frame
• November: man knocking down acorns for pigs, a second tree outside the frame
• December: man slaughtering a pig.

Full-page miniatures illustrating the life of Christ, with the sequence Annunciation– Betrayal forming a prefatory cycle, and scenes of the Passion narrative facing historiated initials at liturgical divisions (see below). The miniatures are on gold backgrounds in frames, decorated with architectural arches and pinnacles, painted on the versos, with the rectos left blank. The last miniature has a pink and blue background and gold frame, decorated with foliage and corner-pieces made of three gold vine leaves.

• (fol. 14v) Annunciation: the Virgin Mary, holding a book, and angel, holding a scroll with lettering ‘Aue maria gratiatia [sic] plena dominus’.
• (fol. 15v) Nativity: the Virgin Mary lying on a bed covered with vair (?), Joseph seated by her side, Child in a cradle, heads of the ox and ass (defaced).
• (fol. 16v) Adoration of the Magi: the Virgin and Child, blessing, three crowned Magi with gifts, one kneeling, another pointing to the star.
• (fol. 17v) Slaughter of the Innocents: seated Herod, two soldiers, one piercing a baby with a sword (rubbed).
• (fol. 18v) Betrayal: Judas kissing Christ, soldiers, St Peter with a sword, kneeling Malchus with blood on his head.

Historiated initials, each 6 or 7 lines high, except the first, occupying two-thirds of a page, often partially rubbed or defaced, accompanied by borders composed of gold, blue and pink bars, decorated with coiled tendrils and foliage, some on gold backgrounds; and full-page miniatures at the liturgical divisions in the psalter. The initials are on gold backgrounds, in gold rectangular frames, decorated with foliage, architectural pinnacles and interlace. The miniatures are in gold rectangular frames, decorated with foliage, architectural arches, pinnacles and foliate corner-pieces. The miniatures are painted on one side of a leaf, leaving the other side blank.

• fol. 19r Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) King David playing harp in the upper part, and David and Goliath in the lower part.
• fol. 66v (miniature) Christ before Pilate.
• fol. 67r Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)) King David seated, pointing to his eyes, blessed by Christ with cruciform halo, standing.
• fol. 99v (miniature) The Mocking of Christ, his head covered by a cloth.
• fol. 100r Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)) King David seated, pointing to his mouth; half-figure of Christ, holding a book and blessing, in clouds above.
• fol. 129v (miniature) Flagellation.
• fol. 130r Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)) The Fool, holding a club and eating bread, spoken to by the Devil.
• fol. 158v (miniature) Christ carrying the Cross.
• fol. 159r Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)) King David praying in waters with fish in the lower part; half-figure of Christ with cruciform halo, holding a book and blessing in the upper part.
• fol. 196v (miniature) Crucifixion, with Mary and John, sun and moon.
• fol. 197r Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)) King David, seated, playing bells (defaced).
• fol. 230v Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)) Tonsured clerics singing from a book open on a lectern.
• fol. 231r (miniature) Descent from the Cross (defaced, retouched).
• fol. 268v (miniature) Two panels depicting (above) Christ’s body embalmed and (below) Resurrection.
• fol. 269r Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)) Coronation of the Virgin.

Fine borders accompanying historiated initials.

• fol. 19r, Psalm 1. (full border) Hunter blowing horn and dog chasing a deer; armoured knight piercing a grotesque with a lance; rabbit.
• fol. 67r, Psalm 26 (full border) Ape; grotesque, playing a musical instrument.
• fol. 100r Psalm 38 (full border) Bird; grotesques.
• fol. 130r Psalm 52 (full border) Birds; grotesques.
• fol. 159r Psalm 68 (full border) Grotesque, butterfly.
• fol. 197r Psalm 80 (full border) St Margaret emerging from the back of a dragon, a blessing hand of God in clouds above; musician playing vielle; bird; grotesque.
• fol. 230v Psalm 97 (full border) Half-figure of a tonsured cleric playing organ.
• fol. 269r Psalm 109 (full border) St Martin and a beggar; knight on horseback holding a lance with pennant, seen from behind; birds.

2-line pink initials on gold backgrounds, decorated with coiled tendrils and foliage, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and litany.

Full borders on pages containing 2- line initials, made of gold, pink and blue bars, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage, grotesques, human and animal figures and heads (often musicians), birds, fish and butterflies. The borders include lamb with a cross-staff with pennant (fol. 38r), a man on horseback with a sword (fol. 102r), a female saint with a book and palm (fol. 142r), a kneeling woman with an open book (fols. 164r, 323r), a woman spinning (fol. 176v), a nun (?) in a brown habit and black and white veil, playing a musical instrument (fols. 203r, 334r, 361v), a woman committing suicide with a dagger (?) (fol. 204v), St Paul, holding a book and a sword (fol. 234v), St Peter, holding a book and a key (fol. 239r), a woman kneeling in prayer (fols. 327r, 335r). Some initials and borders include coats of arms and heraldic decoration (see ‘Provenance’).

1-line alternating gold and blue initials, decorated with contrasting blue and red penwork at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Line-endings with foliage, animal figures and heads, birds and grotesques on gold backgrounds.