Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Breviary
France, ca. 1511
MS M. 8 fol. 169r

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Arphaxad, King: building Ecbatane -- Arphaxad, crowned, wearing knotted sash at waist, raising left hand, stands next to man holding hammer bending over dressed stone. Another man, wearing hat, uses builder’s square on second dressed stone. In background, men building city, including three on towers, one climbing ladder carrying hod of mortar (?); another man stands on ground raising left hand. Margins decorated with border of floreate ornament including campanula, thistle, grapes, rose and cornflower, and inhabited by fantastic animal with unicorn horn and wild man, arms crossed on breast, emerging from flower. Text is first lesson in first nocturn for Matins on 3rd Sunday in September.