Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
England, probably Oxford, ca. 1325-1330
MS M.700 fol. 35r

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Shepherds: Annunciation -- Angel, pearled nimbus, raises right hand toward shepherd, wearing broad hat with string over hood and gloves, raising right hand to his hat. Both stand, flanking dog on hillock with flock of sheep, one on hind legs.
Scene against gold diapered background within initial D with ornament of foliage; spandrels decorated with diapered ornament.
Margins decorated with rectilinear foliate extensions and sprigs of foliage and animal heads.
In upper margin, hybrid man raising club, forming part of foliate extension on which is dog pursuing rabbit.
In right margin, hybrid man wearing fantastic hat, bird, and heraldic escutcheon (argent, two bars gules, on a canton of the second two lions passant of the field).
In lower margin, heraldic escutcheon of du Bois, variant (argent, two bars and a canton gules, within a bordure engrailed or), flanked by dog beating drum (tabor), mounted on beast, and horseman, wearing winged headgear, blowing trumpet.
In left margin, heraldic escutcheon of du Bois (argent, two bars and a canton gules).