Book of Hours, Use of Rome (Hours of Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland), written in or shortly before 1527-1528, in Italy
Digital surrogate of Book of Hours, Use of Rome (Hours of Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland)
Link to digital surrogate
'Officium beate Marie Virginis secundum consuetudinem Romane Curie', preceded by a calendar (fol. 1), and Capitula from the Gospels (fol. 13).
Followed by:
- (fol. 114) a 'Missa sancte Marie'
- (fol. 123) 'Septem Psalmi Penitenciales' with litany
- (fol. 151) 'Officium Mortuorum'
- (fol. 198) 'Officium sancte Crucis
- (fol. 203v) 'Officium sacratissime Passionis ...'
- (fol. 230) 'Officium Sancti Spiritus'
- a few prayers, one in Italian
There are many very fine miniatures, capitals, borders, etc., which are described in Waagen's Art Treasures in Great Britain (1854), iii. 102, and J. W. Bradley's Dict. of Miniaturists (1887), i. 207.
See also H. Shaw's Illuminated Ornaments (1833), no.xxxviii.
The miniatures are stated to be in the style of the Glockendons of Nuremberg, while the borders may have been executed at Milan, showing a mixture of Italian and Netherlandish styles. On one miniature (fol. 36av) 's. c. f. Ao mdxxvii', the date being repeated on fol. 74v, and mdxxviii on fol. 229av.
The book was written and painted for Bona (Sforza) wife of Sigismund I, king of Poland (married 1518, but some of the prayers belong in contents to an earlier year than 1527-8 (see fols. 144, 251v): 'Bona' is in a prayer on fol. 249: the arms of Poland and Sforza-Visconti are in many places, and combined on fol. 36av. 'S.B.R.P.' and 'S.S.R.P.'are on fols. 20av, 37, 229av, (presumably 'Scutum Bonae (or Sigismundi) reg. Poloniae'), and once with the motto 'Cetera parvi.'.
Dates
- Creation: written in or shortly before 1527-1528, in Italy
Extent
271 Leaves
Language of Materials
- Latin
Conditions Governing Access
To ensure its availability to future readers, access to this material is restricted, and readers are asked to work from reproductions and published descriptions as far as possible. To apply to see the original, please send a message to specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk, outlining the subject of your research, the importance of this material to that research, and the resources you have already consulted. Please also tell us about the timeframe for your project, if any, and when you hope to visit.
Surrogate available at R. Films 101 and digital.bodleian.
Shelfmark
MS. Douce 40
Other Finding Aids
Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. IV, no 21614
Our best descriptions for medieval items in this collection are in Medieval Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries under MSS. Douce.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital surrogate available in Digital Bodleian.
R.Films.101 is a surrogate.
Physical Facet
With many very fine miniatures, capitals, borders, etc., binding: blue velvet
Dimensions
5 5/8 × 4 1/4 in., in a cloth case slightly larger
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk