Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, Poitiers, ca. 1450
MS M.190 fol. 42r

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Miniature:
Christ: Betrayal and Arrest, and Apostle, Peter: cutting off Ear of Malchus -- Judas, decorated nimbus, holding moneybag, kisses Christ, decorated crossed nimbus, placing right hand on bloody ear of Malchus kneeling on one leg. Below are six soldiers, confounded, fallen on backs.
To left, Apostle Peter, decorated nimbus, back turned, puts sword back into scabbard. Behind him, six apostles, decorated nimbi, look on; one apostle holds clasped hands at breast.
To right, one soldier grasps Christ's left arm. Another soldier places hand on His breast. Hedroit, wearing headdress, holds up lantern.
Behind Christ is crowd of figures, some holding, weapons, including spears, axe, mace, and pike.
All figures enclosed in wattled fence; in background, river Cedron and walled city of Jerusalem. Full moon above.
Scene set in naturalistic landscape.
Below, decorated initial D, enclosing potted dianthus plant, at beginning of Prime of the Long Hours of the Cross.
Margins:
Decorative borders of naturalistic foliate design of tendrils and bouquets of flowers. Right border composed of three registers indicated by swaths of land. In top register, moth flying among columbine flowers flanked by two ducks; in middle register, daisies with two moths, bird, and two flanking monkeys, one hooded, holding cane; in bottom register, carnations flanked by two peacocks. In lower margin, naturalistic landscape with duckpond, inhabited by birds of various types, flowering plants, cattails, dragonfly, snail, and caterpillar.