book of hours

book of hours
a book containing the prescribed order of prayers, readings from Scripture, and rites for the canonical hours.

* * *

 devotional book widely popular in the later Middle Ages. The book of hours began to appear in the 13th century, containing prayers to be said at the canonical hours in honour of the Virgin Mary. The growing demand for smaller such books for family and individual use created a prayerbook style enormously popular among the wealthy. The demand for the books was crucial to the development of Gothic illumination. These lavishly decorated texts, of small dimensions, varied in content according to their patrons' desires.

      One of the most splendid examples, the Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, was created in northern France and the Low Countries during the 14th and 15th centuries. Now held in Chantilly at the Musée Condé, it is an excellent pictorial record of the duke's spectacular residences, with magnificent calendar pages illuminated by the Pol de Limburg and his brothers (c. 1414–18), as well as many biblical scenes and illustrations of the lives of the saints. Other renowned examples are the Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux (c. 1325), now held in The Cloisters, New York City, and the Book of Hours of Charles of Angoulême and the Livres d'Heures de Rohan in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Book of hours — A book of hours is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Each book of hours is unique in one way or another, but all contain a collection of texts, prayers and psalms, along with appropriate illustrations, to form a… …   Wikipedia

  • book of hours — Usage: sometimes capitalized B&H : a book containing prayers or offices appointed to be said at the canonical hours * * * a book containing the prescribed order of prayers, readings from Scripture, and rites for the canonical hours. Also, Book of …   Useful english dictionary

  • Book of Hours —    A book used for private devotion that contains the prayers of the Divine Office meant to be recited at the canonical hours of the day (matins, lauds, nones, vespers, etc.). These texts sometimes include a calendar with illustrations of the… …   Dictionary of Renaissance art

  • book of hours —    A book for private devotions containing prayers for different hours of the day. Each book of hours is a a collection of texts for each liturgical hour of the day, along with other texts such as calendars, prayers, psalms and masses for holy… …   Glossary of Art Terms

  • Book of Hours (Milan, Biblioteca Trivulziana, Cod. 470) — Milan, Biblioteca Trivulziana, Cod. 470 is a 15th century Book of Hours. It was made in a French Burgundian scriptorium. It measures 131 by 89 mm and has 366 folios. The text is written in Textualis Gothic bookscript. There are twenty grisaille… …   Wikipedia

  • book of hours — noun a book of prayers appointed for particular canonical hours or times of day, used by Roman Catholics for private devotions …   English new terms dictionary

  • Book of Hours — These MS books were also called horae (Lat. = hours). They were variations of the *breviary and used mostly for private devotions. The central text, the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, was a shorter version of the devotions performed in the… …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • Book of Hours —    See Breviary; Divine Office; and Hours, Liturgy of the …   Glossary of theological terms

  • Book of Hours — a book for the laity containing Psalms and prayers to be read at the times of the daily office …   Medieval glossary

  • Book of Days — may refer to: Non ndash;Fiction literature * Book of Days by Abu Ubaida an Arab scholar * Book of Hours a medieval manuscript * Chambers Book of Days , by Robert Chambers, and Chambers Book of Days published by Chambers Harrap * Oxford Book of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”