Prayerbook of the Holy Festivals

Prayerbook of the Holy Festivals – AyN Ediciones – Lat. Q. v. 1. 78 – National Library of Russia (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Reims (France) — 1285–1297; 15th century

Suitably richly illuminated with over 100 luminous miniatures: a magnificent missal with the prayer texts for worship and lavishly designed, full-page images of intense colors and precious gold leaf

  1. One of the most beautifully illuminated manuscripts of the French High Gothic, created in Reims

  2. Adorned with over 100 full-page miniatures with intense colors and gold leaf

  3. The liturgical work contains prayer texts for reading during Mass and also served as a religious calendar

Prayerbook of the Holy Festivals

Lat. Q. v. 1. 78 National Library of Russia (St. Petersburg, Russia)
  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
Prayerbook of the Holy Festivals

One of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the French High Gothic style was made in France between 1285 and 1297. It is the missal, which was the basis for the celebration of the mass in the parish of St. Nacasio. The gorgeous missal is richly illustrated with exceptionally designed, full-page miniatures in splendid colors and furnished with precious gold leaf.

Prayerbook of the Holy Festivals

One of the most beautiful and splendid missals, which was created in the Middle Ages, can be found today in the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. It is a missal that was made between 1285 and 1297 in France. The liturgical work contains prayer texts for reading during the joint mass and served as a calendar for the feasts and holidays of the liturgical year. It is adorned with over 100 full-page miniatures in luminously intense colors and with the employment of noble gold leaf. The precious, meticulously-written illuminated prayer book counts among the absolute highpoints of Western European illumination at the end of the 13th century.

A Liturgical Rulebook

A missal is a liturgical work that describes the course of the holy mass for the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays, feast days, and workdays. It contains prayers for the various church festivities, which would be sung or spoken by priests as well as the texts typical to any church service, such as the Kyrie eleison, the Gloria, and the Lord’s Prayer. The Missale Remense was made for the Church of St. Nacasio in Rheims. Here it was used and carefully handled over many years and could be read exclusively by priests of the church.

A Masterpiece of French Gothic

The splendid visual adornment of the missal is a unique example of the outstanding illumination of the French High Gothic style. Elegant, elongated figures with slim limbs and sublime facial features illustrate the ceremonial prayer texts of the manuscript. Differentiated color gradations as well as accents of precious gold leaf causes the miniature pages to shine. The calligraphic script of the codex was completed as painstakingly and splendidly as the images. Luminous, rich red and golden ornaments furnishing the historiated initials introduce the texts of the respective liturgical activities and as such, important passages are written in various color schemes.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Das Gebetbuch der Hochfeste
Missale Remense
Missale aus Reims
Missal of Reims
Misal de Reims
Size / Format
672 pages / 23.3 × 16.2 cm
Origin
France
Date
1285–1297; 15th century
Style
Language
Script
Gothic Textura Formata
Illustrations
105 miniatures, most of them full-page; 32 historiated initals; 24 medaillons
Content
Missal
Previous Owners
Peter Dubrovsky

Available facsimile editions:
Prayerbook of the Holy Festivals – AyN Ediciones – Lat. Q. v. 1. 78 – National Library of Russia (St. Petersburg, Russia)
AyN Ediciones – Madrid, 2007
Limited Edition: 995 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 Misal de Reims

AyN Ediciones – Madrid, 2007

Publisher: AyN Ediciones – Madrid, 2007
Limited Edition: 995 copies
Binding: Purple velvet with leather spine and hardware; center stone with large center clasp
Commentary: 1 volume (246 pages) by Gregorio Solera, Ana DomÍnguez, Javier Docampo and Liudmila Kisseleva
Language: Spanish
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Price Category: €€€€ (7,000€ - 10,000€)
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