Havens breviary, Franciscan use, 1400 - 1599

Slight amount of water damage at the edges. Construction of quire 25 is uncertain

Parchment support.

Original blind-tooled leather over beveled oak boards with brass clasps, missing straps. Leather spine repair. On spine handwritten in ink on remnant of paper label: "Manuscrit/ Curieux/ Parchemin."

346; 148 x 101 mm bound to 152 x 109 mm

Two columns, thirty-two lines, ruled in ink with single vertical bounding lines, full across; written area: 87 x 61 mm; Calendar in five columns, thirty-one to thirty-two lines, ruled, but with no bounding lines; written area: 90 x 70 mm

Gothic--textualis script.

Although the text has been badly mutilated and many illuminations probably have been removed, the two remaining illuminated initials and penwork flourishes are delightful. The 9-line historiated initial on f. 34v, an illustration of a haloed child with a sword through his throat against a blue and white background describes the Massacre of the Innocents. The initial itself is pink with white penwork, olive green, and tan on a gold ground with black rinceaux extensions terminating in gold-filled seed pods and a pink flower. The 8-line initial on f. 134r which shows a head and shoulders portrait of a 3-faced godhead is of similar design. It illustrates the Feast of the Trinity. There are several 8- to 5-line open-work red or blue initials on contrasting penwork grounds, either purple or red, with flowing extensions terminating in small penwork berries, leaves, or flowers. As well, most pages include at least one 6- to 2-line solid red or blue ink initial, with similar penwork. Additional 1-line initials and paragraph markers in blue or red, and extensive rubrication throughout. The parchment is fine, although there is a slight amount of water damage at the edges of a few pages.

Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto