A digital facsimile of Walters Ms. W.

102, Book of hours

Published by: The Walters Art Museum

600 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201
http://www.thewalters.org/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode
Published 2011
This document is a digital facsimile of a manuscript belonging to the Walters Art Museum, in
Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of a number of manuscripts that have been
digitized as part of a project generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities,
and by an anonymous donor to the Walters Art Museum. More details about the manuscripts at
the Walters can be found by visiting The Walters Art Museum's website www.thewalters.org. For
further information about this book, and online resources for Walters manuscripts, please contact
us through the Walters Website by email, and ask for your message to be directed to the Department
of Manuscripts.
Shelf mark Walters Art Museum Ms. W.102
Descriptive Title Book of hours
Text title Book of hours
Abstract This finely illuminated and iconographically rich book of
hours was made in England at the end of the thirteenth
century. The manuscript is incomplete and misbound. Its
main artist can also be found at work in a Bible (Oxford,
Bodleian Library Ms. Auct. D.3.2) and a psalter (Cambridge,
Trinity College Cambridge Ms. O.4.16). The manuscript
contains a number of unusual texts, including the Hours of
Jesus Crucified and the Office of St. Catherine. The patron of
the manuscript is not clear; a woman is depicted as praying
in many of the initials, but rubrics in the Office of the
Dead mention "freres" (brothers). The imagery is inventive,
and the Hours of Christ Crucified are graced with images
depicting the funeral of Reynard the Fox in its margins. In the
absence of a calendar, it is not possible to locate the origin
of the manuscript precisely.
Date Ca. 1300 CE
Origin England
Form Book
Genre Devotional

Language The primary language in this manuscript is Latin. The

secondary language of this manuscript is French, Old (842-
ca.1400).
Support material Parchment
Medium-weight parchment
Extent Foliation: ii+104+i
Nineteenth-century pen foliation in upper right corners of
rectos (followed here); second flyleaf foliated as fol. 1, with
foliation consequently ending at fol. 105; twentieth-century
foliation in pencil in lower left corners of rectos
Collation Formula: Undetermined

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 Catchwords: Occasionally found on versos of the last folios
of quires in the bottom right margins
Comments: Binding too tight to reconstruct the original
arrangement of quires

Dimensions 18.7 cm wide by 26.7 cm high

Written surface 12.2 cm wide by 17.0 cm high

Layout Columns: 1
Ruled lines: 19

Contents fols. 2r - 105v:

Title: Book of hours
Text note: The original sequence of the parts of this
manuscript cannot be reconstructed with certainty. The
Abbreviated Hours were followed by the Hours of the
Holy Spirit, the Seven Penitential Psalms, the litany and
collects, the Fifteen Gradual Psalms, the Office of the
Dead, and the Hours of Jesus Crucified. Whether the
Prayers to the Crucified Christ, which were followed by
the lections in the life of St. Catharine, came before or
after this sequence is an unanswered question.
Hand note: Written in Gothic bookhand (textura semi-
quadrata)
Decoration note: One half-page line drawing; thirty-
two historiated initials; minor decorated initials; line
fillers; marginalia
fols. 2r - 3v; 73v - 84v:
Title: Hours of Jesus Crucified
Rubric: Si commence les hures de Iesu crucifie les
queles si hume die chescun iur e pense de sa passiun ke
il suffri a cheun hure il ne murra mie de male mort
Incipit: Gracias tibi ago domine Iesu Chisti cuius gratia
(fol. 73v)
Contents: Text has been scrambled; correct order as
follows: fols. 73v-84v, 2r-3v
Decoration note: Eight historiated initials; minor
decorated initials; line fillers; marginalia

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fols. 4r - 12r:
Title: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
Rubric: Ci commence le preface avant remembre
Incipit: In nomine domini omne genuflectatur celestium
Decoration note: Nine historiated initials; numerous
minor decorated initials; line fillers; marginalia
fols. 12v - 15v; 94r - 105v:
Title: Lections in the life of St. Catharine, canonical
hours in her honor, and miscellaneous prayers
Rubric: De Seint Katerine a vespres les psaumes feriale
Incipit: Ave virginum gemma Katerina flos
Decoration note: One half-page line drawing; one
historiated initial; line fillers; marginalia
fols. 16r - 16v; 86r - 86v; 87r - 90v; 91r - 91v; 92r - 93v:
Title: Hours of the Virgin
Incipit: ... letentur celi et exultet terra
Contents: Incomplete; text has been scrambled; correct
order as follows: fols. 87r-90v, 92r-93v, 86r-v, 16r-v,
91r-v
Text note: Use of Rome
Decoration note: Three historiated initials; numerous
minor decorated initials; line fillers; marginalia
fols. 17r - 21v:
Title: Abbreviated Hours
Incipit: Dixit autem Maria ad angelum
Contents: Incomplete
Text note: Augustinian Use
Decoration note: Minor decorated initials; line fillers;
marginalia
fols. 21v - 26v; 35r - 35v; 41r - 43r; 85r - 85v:
Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
Rubric: Ci commencent les Hures del Seint Espirit
Incipit: Sanctus Spiritus assit nobis gratia
Contents: Incomplete; text has been scrambled; correct
order as follows: fols. 21v-26v, 85r-v, 35r-v, 41r-43r
Decoration note: Seven historiated initials; numerous
minor decorated initials; line fillers; marginalia

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 fols. 27r - 27v; 40r - 40v; 43r - 48v:
Title: Seven Penitential Psalms
Rubric: Ci commencent les Set Psaumes
Incipit: Ne reminiscaris (fol. 43r)
Text note: Text has been scrambled; correct order as
follows: fols. 43r-48v, 40r-v, 27r-v
Decoration note: One historiated initial; minor
decorated initials; line fillers; marginalia
fols. 28r - 30v; 36r - 38v:
Title: Litany and collects
Incipit: Kyrieleison
Text note: Franciscan adaptation of the Roman litany
Decoration note: Minor decorated initials; historiated
line fillers; marginalia
fols. 31r - 34v; 39r - 39v; 49r - 51r:
Title: Fifteen Gradual Psalms
Rubric: Ci commencent les Quinze Psaumes
Penitenciales
Incipit: Ad dominum cum tribulare clamavi (fol. 39r)
Contents: Text has been scrambled; correct order as
follows: fols. 39r-v, 31r-34v, 49r-51r
Decoration note: Minor decorated initials; line fillers;
marginalia
fols. 51r - 73r:
Title: Office of the Dead
Rubric: Ci commence le Office pur les Morz
Incipit: Legem [sic] cui omnia vivunt, Venite adoremus
Text note: Use of Rome
Decoration note: Three historiated initials; line fillers;
marginalia

Decoration fol. 2r:

Title: Initial "D" with Tree of Jesse
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: compline
fol. 4r:
Title: Initial "V" with Crucifixion
Form: Historiated initial "V," 5 lines

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 Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 5r:
Title: Initial "D" with Carrying of the Cross
Form: Historiated initial "D," 5 lines
Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 6r:
Title: Initial "D" with Crucifixion
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 6v:
Title: Initial "D" with Trinity (throne of mercy)
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 7v:
Title: Three Marys at the sepulcher
Form: Historiated initial "D," 7 lines
Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 8r:
Title: Harrowing of hell
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 9r:
Title: Joseph and Mary before Christ in the Temple
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Prayers to the Crucified Christ
fol. 10v:
Title: King David before God, pointing to his tongue
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Prayer (Psalm 38)
fol. 12r:
Title: Kneeling woman before Christ-Logos
Form: Historiated initial "C," 6 lines
Text: Prayer for the priest before mass
fol. 13v:
Title: Learned doctors of Alexandria before Emperor
Maxentius

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 Form: Historiated initial "M," 6 lines
Text: Lections in the life of St. Catherine: first lesson
fol. 16r:
Title: Woman kneeling in prayer at an altar
Form: Historiated initial "D," 4 lines
Text: Hours of the Virgin: sext
fol. 22r:
Title: Two tonsured men singing from a book before an
altar
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: matins
fol. 28r:
Title: Elephant and castle
Form: Line filler
Text: Litany
fol. 28v:
Title: Adam
Form: Line filler
Text: Litany
fol. 29r:
Title: Head of Christ; St. Stephen playing chess
Form: Line filler
Text: Litany
fol. 29v:
Title: Romulus and Remus; ape riding a bear
Form: Line fillers
Text: Litany
fol. 30v:
Title: St. Margaret swallowed by a dragon
Form: Line filler
Text: Litany
fol. 33v:
Title: Scribal error corrected
Form: Marginalia
Text: Fifteen Gradual Psalms

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fol. 35v:
Title: Woman praying
Form: Historiated initial "D," 3 lines
Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: vespers
fol. 39r:
Title: Decapitation of a man
Form: Historiated initial "A," 7 lines
Text: Fifteen Gradual Psalms
fol. 39v:
Title: Scribal error corrected
Form: Marginalia
Text: Fifteen Gradual Psalms
fol. 42r:
Title: Woman praying
Form: Historiated initial "D," 3 lines
Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: compline
fol. 43r:
Title: Christ with a cleric holding a book
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines
Text: Seven Penitential Psalms
fol. 51r:
Title: Two monks chanting
Form: Historiated initial "V," 3 lines
Text: Office of the Dead: matins
fol. 55r:
Title: Funeral service
Form: Historiated initial "P," 5 lines
Text: Office of the Dead: matins and lauds
fol. 70r:
Title: Two men kneeling in prayer
Form: Historiated initial "D," 4 lines
Text: Office of the Dead: vespers
fol. 73r:
Title: Sheep ringing bells, from a marginal cycle of
images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia

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 Text: Office of the Dead
fol. 73v:
Title: Betrayal; elephant as a pilgrim, from a marginal
cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Historiated initial "D," 7 lines; marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: matins
fol. 74r:
Title: Flagellation; bull blowing a horn, from a marginal
cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Historiated initial "D," 7 lines; marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: lauds
fol. 74v:
Title: Horse playing a flute and drum, from a marginal
cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 75r:
Title: Ass playing a recorder and bell, from a marginal
cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 75v:
Title: Dog playing bagpipes, from a marginal cycle of
images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 76r:
Title: Christ Carrying the Cross; ape family, from a
marginal cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the
Fox
Form: Historiated initial "D," 7 lines; marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: prime
fol. 76v:
Title: Brechimer the Stag carrying the back of Renard
the Fox's bier, from a marginal cycle of images of the
funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia

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 Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 77r:
Title: Tibert the Cat carrying the front of Renard the
Fox's bier, from a marginal cycle of images of the
funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 77v:
Title: Crucifixion; Chanticleer the Cock swinging a
censer, from a marginal cycle of images of the funeral
of Renard the Fox
Form: Historiated initial "D," 7 lines; marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: terce
fol. 78r:
Title: Ysengrin the Wolf as a bishop, from a marginal
cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 78v:
Title: Cat beating a cymbal, from a marginal cycle of
images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 79r:
Title: Goat carrying a crucifix, from a marginal cycle of
images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 79v:
Title: Deposition; bear blowing a horn, from a marginal
cycle of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Historiated initial "D," 7 lines; marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: sext
fol. 80r:
Title: Ram, with situla, sprinkling holy water with an
aspergillum, from a marginal cycle of images of the
funeral of Renard the Fox

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 Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 80v:
Title: Boar digging a grave, from a marginal cycle of
images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 81r:
Title: Rabbit tolling church bells, from a marginal cycle
of images of the funeral of Renard the Fox
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 81v:
Title: Entombment; marginal figure in combat
Form: Historiated initial "D," 6 lines; marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified: none
fol. 82r:
Title: Naked marginal figure in combat
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 82v:
Title: Centaur firing an arrow
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 83r:
Title: Wrestlers
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 83v:
Title: Grotesque
Form: Marginalia
Text: Hours of Jesus Crucified
fol. 85v:
Title: Woman praying
Form: Historiated initial "D," 3 lines
Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: none

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 fol. 88v:
Title: Woman praying
Form: Historiated initial "D," 4 lines
Text: Hours of the Virgin: prime
fol. 92v:
Title: Woman praying
Form: Historiated initial "D," 4 lines
Text: Hours of the Virgin: terce
fol. 105v:
Title: Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
Form: Half-page line drawing
Text: Miscellaneous prayers

Binding The binding is not original.

Early twentieth-century worn red velvet over pasteboard
Provenance Created in England, ca. 1300, for an unknown patron
Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased ca. 1930

Acquisition Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

Bibliography De Ricci, Seymour. Census of Medieval and Renaissance
Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New
York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935, no. 169, p. 784.
Walters Art Gallery. Illuminated Books of the Middle Ages
and Renaissance: An Exhibition Held at the Baltimore
Museum of Art. Baltimore: Trustees of the Walters Art
Gallery, 1949, p. 56, no. 153.
Brieger, Peter H. English Art 1216-1307. Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1957, p. 222.
Diringer, David. The Illuminated Book. London:
Philosophical Library, 1957, p. 273.
McCulloch, Florence. "The Funeral of Renart the Fox in a
Walters Book of Hours." Journal of the Walters Art Gallery
25-26 (1962-1963): 8-27.
Randall, L. M. C. "Humor and Fantasy in the Margins of an
English Book of Hours." Apollo 58 (1966): 482-488.

Generated: 2012-11-01 12:23 -04:00

 Sandler, Lucy Freeman, and J. J. G. Alexander. A Survey
of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles. Gothic
Manuscripts 1285-1385. Vol. 5. London: Harvey Miller,
1986, pp. 24-26, no. 15.
Alexander, J. J. G., and Paul Binski, eds. Age of Chivalry: Art
in Plantagenet England 1200-1400. London: Royal Academy
of Arts, 1987, pp. 356-357, no. 359.
Wieck, Roger S. Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in
Medieval Art and Life. New York: George Braziller, 1988,
pp. 102, 221-222.
Camille, Michael. Image on the Edge: The Margins
of Medieval Art. London: Reaktion; Cambridge, Mass.:
Harvard University Press, 1992, pp. 23-30.
Mellinkoff, Ruth. Outcasts: Signs of Otherness in Northern
European Art of the Late Middle Ages. Vol. 2. Berkeley,
Calif.: University of California Press, 1993, no. IX.3.
Varty, Kenneth. Reynard, Renart, Reinart: And Other Foxes
in Medieval England. Amsterdam, Amsterdam University
Press; London: Eurospan, 1999, p. 141.

Contributors Principal catalogers: Noel, William; Smith, Kathryn

Cataloger: Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and
researchers since 1934
Editors: Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William
Copy editor: Bockrath, Diane
Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail
Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Dutschke, Consuelo; Emery,
Doug; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

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This document is a digital facsimile of a manuscript belonging to the Walters Art Museum, in
Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of a number of manuscripts that have been
digitized as part of a project generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities,
and by an anonymous donor to the Walters Art Museum. More details about the manuscripts at
the Walters can be found by visiting The Walters Art Museum's website www.thewalters.org. For
further information about this book, and online resources for Walters manuscripts, please contact
us through the Walters Website by email, and ask for your message to be directed to the Department
of Manuscripts.
 The Walters Art Museum
600 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland
21201
http://www.thewalters.org/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode
Published 2009