Accession Number
1965/2.81

Title
Leaf from a psalter or book of hours (Psalm 26)

Artist(s)

Object Creation Date
1400-1450

Medium & Support
ink, tempera and gold on parchment

Dimensions
5 11/16 in x 3 13/16 in (14.4 cm x 9.7 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm);5 11/16 in x 3 13/16 in (14.45 cm x 9.69 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
This manuscript page, which contains a portion of Psalm 26, comes from either a psalter, a book containing only the biblical psalms, or a book of hours, a type of personal devotional manuscript that enjoyed widespread popularity from the thirteenth through fifteenth centuries and contained sets of daily prayers that often included psalms. The delicate and understated decoration of this page structures the text by emphasizing the beginning and end of each verse, while also creating a sense of rhythm and visual balance.

Physical Description
This manuscript leaf contains a single column of text in Latin surrounded by generous margins on three sides. Pen-flourished initials elaborated with delicate penwork, colored red and blue alternating with gold and purple, mark the beginning of each verse along the left edge of the text column. Five line-fillers, long linear elements colored blue and gold, complete the closing line of each verse and preserve the regular shape of the text block.

Primary Object Classification
Unbound Work

Primary Object Type
leaf

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Christianity
illuminations (visual works)
manuscripts (document genre)
prayer books