Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, Rouen, 1470-1480
MS M.312 fol. 104r

See more information »

Legend, Three Living and Dead -- Three youths, wearing hats, are astride horses. Two have left hands raised and one has both hands raised. They confront three partially draped skeletal corpses, one holding arrow in right hand, another holding arrow and spear in right hand, and third holding scythe over left shoulder. Behind them is cross. Scene in landscape with hills and buildings in distance.
In lower margin is partially-draped skeleton, with cross-inscribed coffin in left hand and aiming spear in right hand at man, wearing hat, with right hand raised.
Margin decorated with floreate ornament, including daisies, cornflowers, and peapods, inhabited by fly, grashopper, hybrid man, wearing hat, and by pelican pecking breast from which blood flows on three young in nest.
Strawberries in decorated initial D.