"[Book of Hours Leaf]", Poitevin, Jean, de

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.

This vellum leaf is part of a calendar for the months of March and April. The leaf details the number of days and moons, followed by the saint's days. The large initials KL for "kalender" are beautifully illuminated in red, blue and burnished gold leaf. The text is in Latin and is surrounded by elaborate iron engravings that include biblical scenes. From the Paris workshop of Jean (Jehan) de Poitevin.

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Condition: B+

Light soiling and toning with several tiny worm holes in the image and two larger worm holes in the blank margins.