| A stunning 540-year-old manuscript filled with beautifully illustrated tips on how to stay on the right track throughout the year is going on display in Leeds.
Penned in around 1480 and inscribed on delicate vellum, the Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis, or Book of Hours, contains forty-six vividly illuminated images depicting various duties to be carried out each month along with the signs of the zodiac. |
| A devotional book which first became popular in the 13th-century among wealthy classes, the remarkable text was designed to help individuals keep up with a rigorous schedule of tasks and prayers while at home.
It will go on display at Leeds Central Library next week to mark the New Year along with a selection of historic calendars and almanacs from the library’s collection. The library’s copy of The Book of Hours was donated in 1929 by Beryl Gott, who also bequeathed the botanical collection that bears her family name. This particular manuscript was most likely produced in Paris in around 1480, possibly by a family run businesses. Creating each book was a painstaking process, with one worker marking out the lines and another writing the text whilst a third would do the miniatures and yet another would apply the delicate gold leaf. The Book of Hours will be on display at Leeds Central Library from Jan 7, 2025.
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