Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
England, probably Oxford, ca. 1325-1330
MS M.700 fol. 80v

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Helena, Empress: Scene, interviewing Judas and Jews -- Helena, crowned, veiled, holds cross in left hand and raises right hand toward four Jews, including Judas, two wearing hats, and one raising hands. All flank building representing Jerusalem.
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.
In upper margin, hybrid woman, crowned, forming part of horizontal foliate bar on which are confronting hybrid animal and hybrid man.
In right margin, hybrid man, wearing hooded cape, holding club, and heraldic escutcheon of Murdac (or, a fretty sable).
In lower margin, rabbit crouching, veiled horsewoman confronting horseman raising sword, and heraldic escutcheon of du Bois, variant (argent, two bars gules, on a canton of the second a mullet of the field).
In left margin, heraldic escutcheon of du Bois (argent, two bars and a canton gules).