17 Italian Book of Hours Leaf Northern Italy 1500-1510 CE Vellum, Dimensions: 18 x 13 cm Portland State University Library, Special Collections, Mss 32 This is a beautifully hand written, hand painted leaf from an Italian Book of Hours. The Book of Hours historically goes back to pre-Christian origin, with the Jewish Book of Psalms. These prayer books were often kept on the individual, due to the value of the gold leafed manuscript, but also for its use as an hourly prayer book used throughout the day. It was believed to have protective powers from evil and contribute to hope of their salvation. These ideologies of protective powers are similar to both the Ethiopian Magic Scroll and the Armenian Prayer Roll also in this exhibit. This leaf, dated to the beginning of the sixteenth century, does not demonstrate the extent of detail and artistry that some manuscripts have, however, the quality of the decorated initials, detailed foliate borders, and gold lettering reveal that this probably belonged to an affluent family. This is confirmed by Pia Palladino, author and editor of several books associated with Italian manuscripts and Assistant Curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art; “By the end of the fifteenth century, with the rise of printed books, the craft of manuscript illumination in Italy had become increasingly specialized and confined primarily to the production of luxury goods for the wealthiest class of patrons.”1 On the recto side of this leaf there extends from the decorated initial “O” a partial foliate border of rich colors of red, green, blue, and gold. The Latin text relates to the Feast of All Saints Day. This was an important day of prayer, celebrated on November 1st and would have been included in all Books of Hours. The translation is: Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given us in one feast to venerate the merits of all Thy saints; we beseech Thee through the multitude of intercessors to grant the desired abundance of Thy mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in unity with the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. The verso side, shown in this exhibit, is more intricately illuminated, with the
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