Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
England, probably Oxford, ca. 1325-1330
MS M.700 fol. 31v

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Christ: Nativity -- Virgin Mary, veiled, reclines on pillow and draped mattress before architectural manger on which lies Christ Child, pearled crossed nimbus, swaddled, before ass and ox (upper parts only), beside Joseph the Carpenter, wearing hood, raising right hand to face and holding tau-staff in left, seated at right.
Scene against gold stippled background within initial D with ornament of foliage; spandrels decorated with diapered ornament.
Margins decorated with rectilinear foliate extensions and sprigs of foliage.
In upper margin, hybrid man, wearing hat, as musician blowing trumpet with heraldic banner, forming part of foliate extension.
In right margin, hybrid man, wearing tapering hat, holding inscribed scroll, pair of birds perching on sprigs of foliage, and heraldic escutcheon, unidentified (gules a chevron argent between three besants).
In lower margin, pelican in her piety flanked by dog and rabbit, both seated, and by hybrid man balancing upside-down vessel on two sticks and hybrid musician, wearing winged headgear, playing harp; bird at left.