The Golf Book (British Library Add MS 24098) is the common name for an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours The book of hours is a Christian devotional book popular in the Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts, prayers and …Book of hours
Simon Bening
Simon Bening was a Flemish miniaturist, generally regarded as the last major artist of the Netherlandish tradition. Bening, born either in Ghent or Antwerp, was probably trained by his father, illuminator Alexander Bening, in the family workshop in Ghent. He travelled between Ghent …
What is the golf book?
The Golf Book ( British Library Add MS 24098) is the common name for an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours in the Use of Rome dating from the 1540s. Only 23 pages remain of the original created by the illuminator Simon Bening and his studio in Bruges.
What is a book of hours?
The book of hours is a Christian devotional book used to pray the canonical hours. The use of a book of hours was especially popular in the Middle Ages and as a result, they are the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript.
What is a medieval golf book?
Golf book. This article is about a medieval manuscript. It is not to be confused with Rules of golf. The Golf Book (British Library Additional Manuscript 24098) is the common name for an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours in the Use of Rome dating from the 1540s. Only 23 pages remain of the original created by the illuminator Simon Bening...
How many pages are in the Bening golf calendar?
Only 23 pages remain of the original created by the illuminator Simon Bening and his studio in Bruges. It owes its popular name to one illustration in the calendar, with people playing a game resembling that of golf.
Full-page Illustrations of Renaissance Sports Activities
Written in Latin, the Golf Book is certainly a fascinating book as it displays a collection of sports activities and pastimes typical of the period in which the manuscript was created.
Grisaille Decorations by Simon Bening
In addition to the full-page miniatures, the iconography of the Golf Book incorporates other types of illustrations, especially along the borders, such as medallions, architectonic decoration, and cameos in which Simon Bening applied the grisaille and semi-grisaille technique, that is, the use of different shades of grey.
A Beautiful Example of Gothic Script
The Book of Golf exhibits a superb example of Gothic script and appears to have been made for a Swiss patron, as the presence of the miniature of Boniface of Lausanne would seem to suggest.
Binding description
Like many medieval manuscripts, the Golf Book lost its original binding which was replaced with a German one dated back to the 1800 and featuring velvet and metalwork. The manuscript now displays a British Museum in-house binding with gauffered and gilt edges, dated 1927.
What is the book of hours?
In addition to the illustrated calendar and portrait of St Boniface, the Book of Hours contains a beautiful cycle of images depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ, including ‘Christ Led before Pilate’ (image no. 2), ‘Christ Nailed to the Cross’ (image no. 3) and ‘The Entombment’ (image no. 4). These were made to accompany the Hours ...
Where did the golf book come from?
Golf Book. The Golf Book is a Book of Hours, made in Bruges during the early 1540s. The book’s calendar gives the manuscript its reputation and its name. The latter derives from the round of golf being played by four men in the border decoration of the page devoted to September (image no. 1).
Description
The person for whom this marvellous Book of Hours was made is still unknown. Running along the bottom of the pages in the calendar is a series of images that have always been of great interest. They depict sports activities and other pastimes typical of the period when the manuscript was made.
The Golf Book (Book of Hours) The British Library, London
The person for whom this marvellous Book of Hours was made is still unknown. Running along the bottom of the pages in the calendar is a series of images that have always been of great interest. They depict sports activities and other pastimes typical of the period when the manuscript was made.
What is the book of hours?
The book of hours is a Christian devotional book popular in the Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts, prayers and psalms, often with appropriate decorations, ...
Where did the book of hours come from?
The book of hours has its ultimate origin in the Psalter, which monks and nuns were required to recite. By the 12th century this had developed into the breviary, with weekly cycles of psalms, prayers, hymns, antiphons, and readings which changed with the liturgical season.
What language are books of hours written in?
Books of hours were usually written in Latin (the Latin name for them is horae ), although there are many entirely or partially written in vernacular European languages, especially Dutch. The English term primer is usually now reserved for those books written in English.
When was the Book of Hours acquired?
Book of Hours, Bourges, c. 1480; acquired at the sale of J.T. Hackett's art collection in 1918, State Library of New South Wales. Book of Hours, Arras, 15th century; acquired at the sale of J.T. Hackett's art collection in 1918, State Library of New South Wales.
Who was the last illuminator of the book of hours?
One of the last major illuminated book of hours was the Farnese Hours completed for the Roman Cardinal Alessandro Farnese in 1546 by Giulio Clovio, who was also the last major manuscript illuminator.
