Title: Book of Hours Calendar, Use of Paris, Circa 1450. Extravagantly Illuminated Manuscript on Vellum from France, By the Circle of the Master of Jean Rolin II, With Full Borders
Author: Circle of the Master of Jean Rolin II (active Paris, c. 1445–1465)
Condition: Very Good
A mid 15th century illuminated manuscript calendar from a Book of Hours, inscribed in a flowing gothic script, produced in France, Paris, with local saints such as Saint Geneviève (3 Jan., in gold), Saint Denis (9 Oct., in gold), Saint Marcel of Paris (3 Nov.), and Saint Germain of Paris (28 May).
The calendar is complete, bearing all months from January to December, and is written in blue, red, gold, and black ink. Each month bears a two-line initial at the top, against a blue and red background.
There are Kalends initials enriched with acanthus infill, and extravagant full borders on every leaf composed of rinceaux with sprays of gold bezants, stylized ivy, and flowering tendrils.
Executed around 1450, the stylistic features—particularly the gilded ivy borders, palette, and decorative vocabulary—closely reflect the visual idiom developed in the circle of the Master of Jean Rolin II, a leading illuminator in Paris whose influence extended widely among mid-century workshops.
The leaves are written in a 17-line format.
One illuminated manuscript in octavo (19.1 × 14 cm), 12 leaves on vellum
This manuscript is in very good shape, with light, marginal wear and minor loss to the pigments and gold. The quire itself is partially split in half, just holding by a thread between the June and July leaves.