THE SYMBOL OF ST LUKE
BOOK OF HOURS.
Leaf with Luke 1:26–35.
Northern France, c. 1475.
Complete vellum leaf (c. 175 x 125 mm), single columns of 16 lines of Latin text written in black ink in a slightly slanted gothic hand, ruled with ink, recto with five-line miniature of the winged ox of St Luke in shades of brown with a white scroll bearing the legend ‘S. luc[a]s euua[nge]lista’ within a gilt and blue border, gilt one-line initial ‘I’ (In illo tempore) on blue and pink ground patterned in white, and with handsome border decoration comprising a pink and blue bar, acanthus leaves in gilt and blue, pink and blue flowers with green leaves, and sprays with gilt leaves and dots, the verso without decoration; slight cockling at head, some discolouring to inner edge, some rubbing to text especially to verso.
A very attractive leaf from a late fifteenth-century French Book of Hours with a nice miniature of the winged ox of St Luke marking the opening of a reading from his gospel.
The text narrates the Annunciation: ‘In that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women … Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with the Lord. Behold thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus …’.
