The Master of Modena Hours

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his is one of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the 14th century. It comes from the refined and rich collection of the Marquis Obizzi del Catajo and has belonged to the Estense library since 1817. The manuscript is on parchment, 155x215 mm, and dated 1390. It is made up of 272 sheets, of which 28 are full page illuminations, 15 bordered by vegetation patterned decoration and 21 with illustrated initial letters. The full page writing, with indexed headings, is in rounded Gothic script.

The first part is dedicated to the calendar, while the text of the prayer book is accompanied by splendid illuminations representing important moments in the lives of the Blessed Virgin and Jesus and pictures of the saints. The codex is known as one of the masterpieces of Lombard illuminated manuscripts, ascribable to the golden period of International Gothic. The most recent historical-artistic research attributes the illuminations to the Master of the Hours Book of Modena working in the last decade of the 1300s in the Milan workshop of Giovannino de Grassi and author of other wonderful codices for the Visconti court. Despite obvious references to the repertory of the head-school, the Master of the Hours Book of Modena reveals his own originality in his brush use and in the background decorations, in his suprising elegance of line and in the lovely gentleness of the feminine figures. Of considerable importance is the beautiful and sumptuous sixteenth century pink silk binding with embroidered decorative borders, along the spine and on the sides, in gold, silver and coloured silk thread. A framed bust of the Virgin Mary is embroidered on the front cover in the centre, while the coat-of-arms of the presumed owner is embroidered in the centre on the back. This facsimile edition with commentary is in preparation.

The Master of Modena Hours Lombard illuminated manuscript, 1390, 272 sheets (544 pages), 15x21 cm, splendid sixteenth century red silk binding with coloured embroidery, boxed with commentary. 999 copies.

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