"[Book of Hours Leaf]", Kerver, Thielman

Striking vellum leaf from this important transitional period when books began to be printed from movable type, decorated with metal-cut illustrations and combined with hand-painted illuminated initials. It is printed on vellum in black and red with many initials hand painted in red, blue and gold. The illustrations are from Matthew 25 and at the bottom of the recto is an illustration of devils shoving souls into hell, depicted here as the enormous muzzle of a monstrous animal.

The firm of Thielman Kerver is best known for its lovely printed Books of Hours, many of which include hand-painted miniatures and initial letters. Thielman Kerver, who was one of France’s most prolific printers of such books, began printing Books of Hours in 1497 and continued until his death in 1522. At this time, his widow, Iolande Bonhomme, took over the firm and continued to produce liturgical books of different types until 1556. Kerver's work is much less common than that of his colleagues, Simon Vostre and the Hardouins.

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Condition: A+