Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, Saint-Omer, between 1320 and 1329
MS M.754 fol. 40v

See more information »

Scene, Secular: Distribution of Food (?) -- Three hooded men, possibly paupers, two each with tau-staff standing beside fence or grate, all eating loaves. Scene against gold diapered background, beneath cinquefoil arch of gable with oculus in spandrel and with pinnacles, in initial D with ascender of headless hybrid animal, within diapered panel. Beginning of first versicle of Terce of Hours of the Holy Sacrament. Initial O of Hymn, O quam magnum quam preclarum panis, enclosing head of animal. Margins decorated with foliate stems, balls, and bottom bar of scrolling foliage. Margin, left, inhabited by male musician playing viol, monkey exposing hindquarters, playing psaltery (Scene, Burlesque), and hybrid animal with beak. Margin, lower, inhabited by hybrid man with hoofs, raising club at seven balls (Scene, Burlesque, Ball-playing), boar running, tonsured hybrid man with horn, and hybrid snail. Margin, right, inhabited by female donor (donee?), wearing veiled headdress and mantle with vair collar and vair-lining, kneeling with joined hands raised in prayer toward left; above, draped hybrid animal with large ears.