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Contents

 

The Lewis & Clark Book of Hours, like most, is divided into roughly nine sections, each of which serves a different function or highlights a different form of prayer. However, the similarities it contains to other works of its time are not enough to prevent glimpses into its own unique history, or to prevent some confusion over who exactly would have used it.

For instance, it is reasonably clear that this book of hours was not the property of a layperson. Although it does have a number of full-page illustrations and features beautifully illuminated lettering on many pages, it is nowhere near as lavish or long as contemporaneous books of hours made for members of the nobility. There are several sections, most notably the Hours of the Cross, which have been shortened from their standard length. As well, some of the artistic styles the book adheres to differ from convention. For example, instead of using gold leaf to highlight points of light in the miniatures, the figures have instead been covered with a gold wash, a less expensive way to accomplish the same impression. These moments of "cutting corners" suggest that the owner prioritized the inclusion of sections and prayers which were most important to them, while forgoing others in favor of beautifying what was already there.

Other clues about the original owner's provenance, however, are not so clear. This small, delicate book with its flowery marginal illustrations seems somewhat feminine, at least to the modern observer. The inclusion of female saints in both the Litany and the Suffrages also seems as though it might point to its use by a woman. However, although many women did own Books of Hours in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, they often altered them in unpredictable ways to suit both their needs and the Spiritual and educational needs of their family. Women played an important role in preserving the family line, and may have been seen as the primary keepers of family history. As such, some books of hours commissioned by women served the needs of her husband, children and anticipated future generations first, and her individual needs second. For this reason, it can be difficult to determine if a fairly gender-neutral Book was owned by a man or a woman, or even where it was from.

This is the case with this book of hours, which, although it is highly unique, lacks some of the detailed personalization found in other manuscripts of the time. For example, its images contain many figures with a strange, almost bug-eyed look that makes them pop out of the page, a style which seems to be intentional. However, there is no consistently portrayed single figure who might be the owner, and there are very few locational cues pointing towards its manufacture in a particular region or city.