Biblioteca Nacional de Espana - Res/149 and Vitr/25/5

Two more from the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana.

Res/149, the Hours of Guillaume Rollin, was made in Valenciennes around 1460-70. The calendar is rather plain, with nothing but some penwork around the KL for decoration. It is, however, very accurate. Of 185 entries, only three are on the wrong date. Of the entries, there are no unique ones, but having Cornelius and Cyprianus (3696) on September 14th, in addition to the Exaltation of the Cross (3693), is an less common pairing.

(DB Id: 291)

Vitr/25/5, the Book of Hours Voustre Demeure, was made in Ghent circa 1472. As opposed to Res/149, above, the calendar here is nearly complete and heavily decorated. Each of the pages has illusionistic borders populated with insect, plants, and bugs. At the bottom of the versos, where the months start, there is a vignette of the labor of the month. On the rectos there is a scene with the zodiac in the sky over a seasonal landscape.

The entries in the calendar are less careful. It seems that the intent was to have a complete calendar, but in many months the insertion of the word “Nonas” (Mar., Apr., July, Oct., Nov., or Dec.) or “Idus” (Aug.) has filled the line and no saint exists for that day. There are only two actually empty dates, Oct. 26 and Dec. 14. As is common in complete calendars there are a fair number of unidentified saints and 30 on incorrect dates. One of the errors is St. Columba (4146), listed on Dec. 19. Though her feast should be on the 17th, there is one other manuscript in the DB, Walters W.195, with the same shifted saint. These are both Flemish MS from the late 15th century, and though there is no other known connection, this may indicate one.

(DB Id: 292)