Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, Saint-Omer, between 1320 and 1329
MS M.754 fol. 15v

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Apostle James Major, nimbed, wearing pilgrim’s outfit of hat decorated with three scallop shells, and purse over shoulder, holding pilgrim’s tau-staff in right hand, standing with left hand raised, looking toward cross-nimbed dove of Holy Ghost emerging from clouds at right.
Figure against gold diapered background, in decorated initial D with ascender of winged, headless hybrid animal, beneath architectural frame of cinquefoil arch with cinquefoil oculus in spandrel of crocketed gable with pinnacles, all on diapered panel.
Beginning of first versicle of None of Long Hours of the Holy Spirit.
Margins decorated with curvilinear foliate stems, balls, and bottom bar of scrolling foliage.
Margin, left, inhabited by male musician, wearing bicolored tunic, playing psaltery, and two birds.
Margin, lower, inhabited by hybrid snail; man, armed with sword and buckler, attacking hybrid animal (Scene, Burlesque); below, hybrid animal and hybrid man with ladder on back.
Margin, right, inhabited by veiled female donor (donee ?), with joined hands raised, kneeling in prayer, on foliate stem; above monkey exposing anus, swinging from foliate stem with legs around the pinnacle of arch.