Horæ for the Use of Rouen Manuscript
Book of Hours in Latin and Middle French

This manuscript produced in Normandy is enriched by seven framed illuminations. The last of these presents a funeral scene (folio 105^r) in which, under the close scrutiny of two praying nuns, one of the two officiating priests sprinkles holy water on a coffin covered with a royal-blue pall embroidered in gold, before which stand two candles in their gilt candlesticks. The border on a diapered ground decorated in the Parisian manner is unusual in the originality of the compartments of geometric motifs that were in vogue in the late 15th century. The diagonal band and the three medallions on a green ground are ornamented with acanthus leaves, fleurets and wild strawberries.


The dark-brown calfskin binding over card, decorated with the gilt wheels and blocking stamps of the late 17th or early 18th century, is notable for its style and personalization. The two boards are ringed with a triple gilt line, and the decoration is based on the repetition of a single azure motif composed of two triangular blocks. Arranged in the corners, these compose a spandrel; assembled in the centre, they form a lozenge-shaped medallion, the points of which end in a fleur-de-lys stamped with a small iron. On the upper board, in a framework formed by a narrow wheel, are inscribed the names [JEHANNE] above the central plate and [SAVVEURS] below the same plate.