Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
England, probably Oxford, ca. 1325-1330
MS M.700 fol. 82r

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Helena, Empress: Scene, finding True Cross, and Helena, Empress: Scene, with Macarius of Jerusalem, raising Dead Man -- Helena, crowned, veiled, represented twice, sits on bench, raising cross in right hand, behind Judas Cyriacus, with spade digging earth in which is green cross, and again stands with hands raised, witnessing Macarius of Jerusalem, wearing bishop's miter and vestments, extending cross toward dead man seated with joined hands raised on draped bier.
Scene beneath multifoiled arch, against gold stippled background within initial D with ornament of foliage; spandrels decorated with diapered ornament.
Margins decorated with rectilinear foliate extensions, sprigs of foliage, and animal heads.
In upper margin, hybrid man forming part of horizontal foliate bar on which are hybrid animal and hooded hybrid man.
In right margin, hybrid man, wearing fantastic hat, clasping hands, and heraldic escutcheon of du Bois, variant (argent, two bars and a canton gules, within a bordure engrailed or).
In lower margin, Fable: Fox and Cock (?) -- Two dogs attacking fox, beside man extending hands, and cock, and heraldic escutcheon of du Bois (argent, two bars and a canton gules).
In left margin, heraldic escutcheon of du Bois (argent, two bars and a canton gules).