Collection ID: 0023 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ("The John Browne Hours")

Other related names

• Browne, John, d. 1476, former owner
• Browne, Agnes, former owner
• Widener, Joseph E. (Joseph Early), 1872-1943, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/21158694/#Widener,_Joseph_E._(Joseph_Early),_1872-1943)
• Lady Margaret Ayloffe, 1704?-1797, former owner
• Topham, John, 1746-1803, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/32346628)
• St. John-Mildmay, Henry St. John Carew, Sir, 1791-1845, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/8721254)
• Widener, P.A.B. (Peter Arrell Brown), 1834-1915, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/72315066)

Funders

• Council on Library and Information Resources

Call number

Widener 3
(Philadelphia, United States, Free Library of Philadelphia, Widener Collection)

Alternate identifiers

• deRicci: 3
• Leaves-of-gold: 33
• TELMA-Luxury-Bound: 2965

Publisher

Free Library of Philadelphia

Language

Latin

Origin

Place

Flanders

Summary

This lavish Book of Hours ("The Browne Hours") was made for the wealthy English merchant John Browne and his wife Agnes. The couple are portrayed as supplicants before the Mass of Saint Gregory on fol. 8v, and John Browne's trademark appears in the border of that page and also inside the back cover. The volume is remarkable in many aspects. It retains its original fifteenth century binding, complete with silver clasps inlaid with miniatures of the Virgin and Child and Veronica's veil. John and Agnes's names are inscribed on the reverse of these clasps. The name of the binder is stamped on the leather of the covers: Anthony de Gavere. The text of the Hours of the Virgin in this book is especially sumptuously illuminated, with one full-page and one large miniature opening each of the individual hours. Unusually, the Hours are interrupted between Lauds and Prime by a series of suffrages. In addition to the usual Penitential Psalms, this book contains the Passion Psalms and the Psalter of Saint Jerome. The papal tiara has been erased on fol. 8v and the commemoration of Thomas Becket has been struck through, testifying to this manuscript's post-medieval English history.

Notes

• In Mass of Saint Gregory, his papal tiara has been rubbed out on f. 8v; rubrics (an indulgence?) erased on facing page, f. 9r. text is crossed out on ff. 20r-20v (Suffrage of Saint Thomas Becket). Saint Margaret's face has been effaced on f. 35v
   
• This manuscript was made for the wealthy English merchant John Browne and his wife Agnes; the fifteenth century binding was done by Anthony de Gavere, a member of a prominent family of Flemish bookbinders active from 1459 to 1505; his name is recorded in the inscriptions stamped into the borders of the four decorative panels on the front and back covers; the two clasps that contain miniatures depicting the Virgin and Child with an angel (upper) and Saint Veronica holding the Sudarium (lower) are inscribed on the reverse with the names of John and Agnes to further personalize the manuscript for its owners
   

Extent

153; 225 x 165 mm bound to 241 x 172 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto

Collation

Uncertain

Support

Parchment

Binding

Original fifteenth-century dark brown calfskin; by Flemish bookbinder Anthony de Gavere; blind-stamped panels with birds and animals in vines, peasants dancing, angels; inscribed "ANTHONIUS DE GAUERE OB LAUDEM XPISTI LIBRUM HUNC RECTE LIGAUI"; silver clasps inlaid with miniatures on vellum behind rock crystal windows, showing Virgin and Child and Saint Veronica, etched on reverse are the names "John Browne" and "Angnes Browne" with John Browne's trademark

Layout

One column of twenty lines; ruled in red ink; evidence of pricking; written area: 125 x 85 mm

Decoration

Twenty-four full-page miniatures, eight large miniatures, twenty-one historiated initials, all with partial or full spray borders; numerous smaller initials and line-fillers in red, blue, and gold throughout

Script

Gothic--textualis quadrata

Provenance

• Made for John Browne the Younger (d. 1476) and Agnes Browne of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, 1460-1470; "Tho. Rosary," on flyleaf, c. 1720; "The gift of [Margaret] Lady Ayloffe [1704(?)-1797] to John Topham [1746-1803], Esq. May the 9th 1783," inside front cover; Sir Henry St. John Mildmay of Dogmersfield, Hampshire, England (bookplate of Dogmersfield Library on front flyleaf), c. 1820; his sale, Sotheby's, London, April 18-20, 1907, no. 6; Quaritch, London, 1907; P.A.B. Widener, Philadelphia; Joseph E. Widener, Philadelphia, 1915; given by his children, Josephine Widener Wichfeld and Peter A.B. Widener, to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1944, in memory of their father
   

Related resources

• De Ricci, Seymour, with the assistance of W. J. Wilson, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada, vol. 2 (New York,: H. W. Wilson, 1935-40), p. 2115-2116, no. 3.
• Supplement to the Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada, originated by C. U. Faye, continued and edited by W. H. Bond (New York: The Bibliographical Society of America, 1962), p. 453.
• Free Library of Philadelphia. Saints, Scribes, and Scholars: An Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts and Early Printed Books from the Collections of the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Compiled by Satoko I. Parker, Walter A. Frankel, and Marie E. Korey (Philadelphia: The Free Library of Philadelphia, 1988), p. 18.
• Lillian M.C. Randall et al., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery, vol. 3, Belgium, 1250-1530 (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press with The Walters Art Gallery, 1997), p. 131.
• Philadelphia Museum of Art, Leaves of Gold: Manuscript Illumination from Philadelphia Collections, edited by James R. Tanis (Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2001), pp. 106-108, cat. no. 33.
• Rogers, Nicholas. "Patrons and purchasers: evidence for the original owners of books of hours produced in the Low Countries for the English market," in B. Cardon, J. Van der Stock and D. Vanwijnsberghe (eds.), "Als Ich Can": Liber Amicorum in Memory of Professor Dr. Maurits Smeyers. Leuven, 2002, vol. II, 1165-1181 (see pp. 1167, 1173, 1177, and 1178).
• TELMA-Luxury Bound: A corpus of manuscripts illustrated in the Netherlands (1400-1550) (http://www.cn-telma.fr/luxury-bound/manuscrit2965/)
• The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, The History of Bookbinding, 525-1950 A.D., exh. cat. (Baltimore: The Walters Art Gallery, 1957), pp. 54-55, no. 127, pl. 28.

Keywords

• Book of Hours
• 15th century
• Flemish
• Gothic
• Historiated initial
• Illumination
• Original binding
• Flanders

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Free Library of Philadelphia, Widener 3: Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ("The John Browne Hours") are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  To the extent possible under law, Free Library of Philadelphia, Special Collections has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this metadata about Free Library of Philadelphia Widener 3: Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ("The John Browne Hours"). This work is published from: United States. For a summary of CC0, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• fol. 2r — Calendar
• fol. 9r — Prayer to Saint Gregory
• fol. 10r — The Fifteen Os of Saint Bridget
• fol. 16r — Commemoration of the Trinity
• fol. 18r — Commemoration of Saint John the Baptist
• fol. 20r — Commemoration of Saint Thomas Becket
• fol. 22r — Commemoration of Saint George
• fol. 24r — Commemoration of Saint Christopher
• fol. 26r — Commemoration of Saint Agnes
• fol. 28r — Commemoration of Saint Anne
• fol. 30r — Commemoration of Saint Mary Magdalene
• fol. 32r — Commemoration of Saint Catherine
• fol. 34r — Commemoration of Saint Barbara
• fol. 36r — Commemoration of Saint Margaret
• fol. 38r — Hours of the Virgin, Use of Sarum (Matins through Lauds)
• fol. 50v — Suffrages
• fol. 57r — Hours of the Virgin, Prime to end
• fol. 75v — Prayer to the Virgin, "Salve virgo virginum stella matutina" attr. to Bonaventure
• fol. 79r — O intemerata
• fol. 80v — Obsecro te
• fol. 82v — Hymn, "Ave mundi spes"
• fol. 84r — Hymn commemorating the Seven Joys of the Virgin
• fol. 87r — Prayers to the Image of Christ, the Individual Wounds of Christ, the Virgin, and Saint John the Evangelist
• fol. 90r — Seven Last Words of the Lord
• fol. 94r — Penitential Psalms, followed by a Litany and Prayers
• fol. 109r — Office of the Dead
• fol. 127r — Commendation of Souls
• fol. 138r — Passion Psalms
• fol. 144r — Psalter of Saint Jerome

Decorations

• Inside front cover — Bookplate, Dogmersfield Library
• Inside front cover — Bookplate, Joseph Widener
• Inside front cover — Notation in ink, "The gift of Lady Ayloffe to John Topham Esq. May the 9th 1783"
• fol. 1r — Notations in pencil
• fol. 8v — Full-page miniature, Mass of Saint Gregory with owner portraits
• fol. 8v — Full spray border with crown and trademark of John Browne
• fol. 9v — Full-page miniature, Salvator Mundi
• fol. 9v — Full spray border
• fol. 10r — Illuminated initial O
• fol. 10r — Full spray border
• fol. 15v — Full-page miniature, Trinity
• fol. 15v — Full spray border
• fol. 16r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 16r — Full spray border
• fol. 17v — Full-page miniature, Saint John the Baptist
• fol. 17v — Full spray border
• fol. 18r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 18r — Full spray border
• fol. 19v — Full-page miniature, Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket
• fol. 19v — Full spray border
• fol. 20r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 20r — Full spray border
• fol. 21v — Full-page miniature, Saint George and the Dragon
• fol. 21v — Full spray border
• fol. 22r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 22r — Full spray border
• fol. 23v — Full-page miniature, Saint Christopher
• fol. 23v — Full spray border
• fol. 24r — Illuminated initial S
• fol. 24r — Full spray border
• fol. 25v — Full-page miniature, Saint Agnes
• fol. 25v — Full spray border
• fol. 26r — Illuminated initial S
• fol. 26r — Full spray border
• fol. 27v — Full-page miniature, Saint Anne
• fol. 27v — Full spray border
• fol. 28r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 28r — Full spray border
• fol. 29v — Full-page miniature, Saint Mary Magdalene
• fol. 29v — Full spray border
• fol. 30r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 30r — Full spray border
• fol. 31v — Full-page miniature, Saint Catherine
• fol. 31v — Full spray border
• fol. 32r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 32r — Full spray border
• fol. 33v — Full-page miniature, Saint Barbara
• fol. 33v — Full spray border
• fol. 34r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 34r — Full spray border
• fol. 35v — Full-page miniature, Saint Margaret
• fol. 35v — Full spray border
• fol. 36r — Illuminated initial G
• fol. 36r — Full spray border
• fol. 37v — Full-page miniature, Agony in the Garden
• fol. 37v — Full spray border
• fol. 38r — Large miniature, Annunciation
• fol. 38r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 38r — Full spray border
• fol. 44v — Full-page miniature, Betrayal of Christ
• fol. 44v — Full spray border
• fol. 45r — Large miniature, Visitation
• fol. 45r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 45r — Full spray border
• fol. 50v — Historiated initial V, Dove of the Holy Spirit
• fol. 50v — Partial spray border
• fol. 51r — Historiated initial M, Saint Michael the Archangel
• fol. 51r — Partial spray border
• fol. 51v — Historiated initial P, Saints Peter and Paul
• fol. 51v — Partial spray border
• fol. 52r — Historiated initial A, Saint Andrew
• fol. 52r — Partial spray border
• fol. 52v — Historiated initial S, Saint Stephen
• fol. 52v — Historiated initial L, Saint Lawrence
• fol. 52v — Partial spray border
• fol. 53v — Historiated initial B, Saint Nicholas
• fol. 53v — Partial spray border
• fol. 54v — Historiated initial O, All Saints
• fol. 54v — Partial spray border
• fol. 56v — Full-page miniature, Christ before Pilate
• fol. 56v — Full spray border
• fol. 57r — Large miniature, Nativity
• fol. 57r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 57r — Full spray border
• fol. 60r — Large miniature, Annunciation to the Shepherds
• fol. 60r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 60r — Full spray border
• fol. 62v — Full-page miniature, Christ Carrying the Cross and Saint Veronica
• fol. 62v — Full spray border
• fol. 63r — Large miniature, Adoration of the Magi
• fol. 63r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 63r — Full spray border
• fol. 65v — Full-page miniature, Crucifixion
• fol. 65v — Full spray border
• fol. 66r — Large miniature, Presentation in the Temple
• fol. 66r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 66r — Full spray border
• fol. 68v — Full-page miniature, Descent from the Cross
• fol. 68v — Full spray border
• fol. 69r — Large miniature, Massacre of the Innocents
• fol. 69r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 69r — Full spray border
• fol. 71v — Full-page miniature, Entombment
• fol. 71v — Full spray border
• fol. 72r — Large miniature, Flight into Egypt
• fol. 72r — Illuminated initial C
• fol. 72r — Full spray border
• fol. 75v — Historiated initial S, Annunciation
• fol. 75v — Partial spray border
• fol. 79r — Historiated initial O, Pietà
• fol. 79r — Partial spray border
• fol. 84r — Historiated initial V, Presentation of Mary in the Temple
• fol. 84r — Partial spray border
• fol. 87r — Historiated initial O, Christ nailed to the Cross
• fol. 87r — Historiated initial C, Cross
• fol. 87r — Partial spray border
• fol. 87v — Historiated initial A, Veronica's veil
• fol. 87v — Historiated initial S, Christ's right hand with wound
• fol. 87v — Partial spray border
• fol. 88r — Historiated initial A, Christ's left hand with wound
• fol. 88r — Historiated initial O, Five wounds of Christ
• fol. 88r — Partial spray border
• fol. 88v — Historiated initial S, Christ's right foot with wound
• fol. 88v — Historiated initial L, Christ's left foot with wound
• fol. 88v — Partial spray border
• fol. 89r — Historiated initial I, Saint John the Evangelist
• fol. 89r — Partial spray border
• fol. 90r — Historiated initial, Crucifixion
• fol. 90r — Partial spray border
• fol. 94r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 94r — Full spray border
• fol. 108v — Full-page miniature, Funeral scene
• fol. 108v — Full spray border
• fol. 109r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 109r — Full spray border
• fol. 126v — Full-page miniature, Resurrection of the Elect
• fol. 126v — Full spray border
• fol. 127r — Illuminated initial B
• fol. 127r — Full spray border
• fol. 137v — Full-page miniature, Imago Pietatis
• fol. 137v — Full spray border
• fol. 138r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 138r — Full spray border
• fol. 143v — Full-page miniature, Saint Jerome in his study
• fol. 143v — Full spray border
• fol. 144r — Illuminated initial V
• fol. 144r — Full spray border