Illuminated Manuscript Leaf: The Coronation of the Virgin
Illuminated manuscript leaf (c1475) from a French Book of Hours with a colorful, vivid miniature of Mary and God on vellum.
The miniature, colored with bright blues, gold, brown, and gray, depicts Mary with crown kneeling before God the Father. God is wearing the characteristic beehive-shaped crown as he holds the sovereign’s orb in his left hand; with his right hand, God is in the act of blessing Mary and anointing her Queen of Heaven.
Surrounding the miniature is a wide acanthus-leaf border with greens, blues, reds, and gold. Beneath the miniature is five lines of text (“Converte nos, Deus salutaris noster, et averte iram tuam a nobis... / Convert us, O God our saviour: and turn off thy anger from us. ..) with a large floral initial and two gold single-line initials. The verso, which contains most of Psalm 12, is highlighted by six red, blue, and gold initials.
Size: 163 x 112 mm (approx. 6.5 x 4.5 inches)
Miniature: 85 x 60 mm (approx. 3.25 x 2.25 inches)
France: c.1475. A few smudges at the bottom of Mary’s robe extending into text, a few small creases to vellum. Generally, a clean and bright leaf representing the Coronation of the Virgin, one of the more popular and enduring subjects of medieval art.
Note: A frame is available for this item for an additional $150.
Price: $4,400 .