Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, Saint-Omer, between 1320 and 1329
MS M.754 fol. 9r

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Apostle Peter, nimbed, tonsured, standing with left hand holding two keys ornamented with crosses (?), looking toward cross-nimbed dove of Holy Ghost emerging from clouds.
Figure against gold diapered background, in initial D decorated with interlace and ascender of winged, headless hybrid animal, and supported by two monkeys, within architectural frame of three gables, enclosing two hybrid animals and mask of hybrid man, and pinnacles, flanked by two waterspouts of animal heads, all on diapered panel.
Beginning of first versicle of Prime of Long Hours of the Holy Spirit.
Margins decorated with curvilinear foliate stems, balls, and bottom bar of scrolling foliage.
Margin, upper, inhabited by monkey, wearing mantle, seated, exposing anus, and grasping pinnacle of the architectural frame (Scene, Obscaena: exposing hindquarters).
Margin, left, inhabited by bird, and tonsured hybrid man.
Margin, lower, inhabited by crowned hybrid bird; hybrid male musician playing psaltery; hybrid bird; and hybrid man exposing anus and wielding sword (Scene, Obscaena: exposing Hindquarters).
Margin, right, female donor (donee?), wearing veiled headdress, with joined hands raised in prayer toward left, kneeling beside pet dog, all on foliate stem.