"[Lot of 3 - Book of Hours Leaves]", Hardouin, Gilles

This leaf is from the brief transitional period when the new technology of printing with movable type was combined with the more labor intensive methods of hand painting. The earliest printers were trained in the manuscript tradition and incorporated the conventions of historiated initials and illustrations into their early work. At first they left those spaces blank for the illuminator to complete entirely by hand. Later they developed printing methods (using woodcuts or iron engravings) to decorate the leaves.

Three vellum leaves printed in Gothic textura type with illuminated capitals in red, blue and gold. The text is surrounded by elaborate scenes which are iron engravings. One leaf has a large engraving of the Annunciation with the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary.

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Condition: A

There is some cockling and one leaf has a tiny worm hole, else very good.