Jean Bourdichon - Prachtausgabe Offizium der Madonna oder Das Vatikanische Stundenbuch - 1540

Jean Bourdichon: Offizium der Madonna or “Das Vatikanische Stundenbuch” (Codex Vaticanus Latinus 10293).
The Codex Vaticanus Latinus 10293 presented here in facsimile is a book of hours in Latin. Books of hours are prayer books intended primarily for the use of lay people and contain hourly prayers. Hourly prayers are cycles of seven or eight texts to be recited by the reciter, arranged according to the ancient Roman division of the day:
The first text is "Matutin", the second "Laudes, das Morgenlob"; one is to be prayed immediately before, the other after sunrise. This is followed at six o'clock by the "Prim", at nine o'clock by the "Terz", at twelve o'clock by the " Sext", at fifteen o'clock by the " Non", at eighteen o'clock by the "Vaper" and before the night's rest by the "Complet". The division is based on the monks' Liturgy of the Hours, as recorded in the Breviary. Prayer cycles that contain all eight hours are called Officium. There are also those in which Lauds is omitted and the texts for the individual lessons are much shorter. They are called Horen.
The Office of the Madonna was made in the early 16th century from the Breviarium Grimani in Bruges. It demonstrates the high art of book illumination in Flanders.
It contains 34 high-quality, full-page miniatures and countless decorative initials. The elaborate borders of the miniatures are typical of the famous Belgian book illumination. Through the use of differently processed gold, each image in the book becomes a precious masterpiece.
Today it is kept in the Vatican Library and is one of the special treasures of this richest library in Christendom.
The commentary volume by Bodo Brinkmann has a red original whole cloth binding with golden spine illustration. Format: approx. 21 x 14 cm. 184 pages with many illustrations.
The facsimile volume is based on a contemporary magnificent binding. Red silk binding in a 925 silver box with 7 gemstones and pearls and a book clasp.
236 sheets with numerous coloured miniatures. Three-sided punched gilt edges.
Format: approx. 11 x 9 cm. Unique limited and numbered edition of this luxury edition of 555 copies. This copy bears the number 406. The guarantee certificate is also included.
Everything is stored in a very decorative red leather case with rich gold embossing.
Format: approx. 38 x 28 x 9.5 cm
Coron Exclusiv - Edition, Stuttgart 1999.
Very good condition. Valuable edition for all collectors and enthusiasts or decorative enrichment of your library.