Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, perhaps Langres, ca. 1485-1490
MS M.26 fol.

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Innocents: Massacre commanded and Innocents: Massacre -- Herod the Great, crowned, seated on canopied throne, extends right hand toward three soldiers, kneeling on one knee before him, each wearing helmet and armor holding spear, two wearing sheathed saber or sword. Four men, wearing hats, three gesturing, stand to right of Herod. Visible through window are three soldiers with swords, one grabbing mother with left hand and stabbing infant with right, the other two raising swords at infant and at mother holding infant. Third mother kneels on ground, hands on breast.
Miniature within arched gold frame.
Margins decorated with floreate and foliate ornament, including large branches, and thistle, and inhabited by peacock, snail, hybrid man wearing hat, fox, seated holding lantern in right front paw and broad ax over shoulder with left front paw and cock below, crowing, possibly, Fable: Fox and Cock.