A wonderful vellum leaf from a Book of Hours printed * in Paris by Germain Hardouin, "librayre demourant entre les deux portes du Palays en l'enseigne saincte marguerite", Paris around 1510.

To give the client the idea of an old manuscript the letters were styled after the way the scribes worked and even the lines between which the scribes wrote were drawn on the leaf [ in red ]!! But most important : the finishing touch to the leaves was given with some hand work : the initials were painted by hand in bright colours: red, blue and gold. To help you read Medieval script I'll give you the transcription and translation of the last 9 lines on the recto: [It is part of Luke 1]

DIXIT Autem Maria ad angelum. Quomodo fiet istud: quoniam v i - rum non cognosco? E t respondens angelus dixit ei. Spritussanctus superueniet in te: et virtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum vocabitur filius dei. E t ecce Helisabet cognata tu a: et ipsa conce- pit filium in senectute s ua : et hic mensis est sextus illi quae vocatur sterili....

And Mary said to the angel: how shall this be done, because I know not a man? And the angel answering, said unto her: the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also that which of thee shall be born holy, shall be called the Son of God. And behold Elizabeth thy cousin, she also hath conceived a son in her old age. And this month is the sixth to her, that is called barren....

* Illuminated manuscript books of hours were costly volumes, owned and often commissioned by nobility and royalty. Early printers quickly realized the commercial value in producing a much larger quantity of profusely illustrated books of hours at a much lower cost, and realized tremendous success in the venture.

Size : 18.5 x 11.5 cm [ ca 7.5 x 4.5 ins ]