A Weathered Book

This worn book was handcrafted by the Dutch in the 15th century and shipped to a customer in England as a Catholic prayer book. To the English in this time, religion was a vital aspect of daily life, including the memorization and recitation of prayers. Hence, Books of Hours like the one displayed here were created for this purpose and customized to include the local saints that would have been important to the purchaser of the book. The small size of this book enables it to fit in someone’s pocket for them to carry it comfortably while they pursued their normal daily duties. The text is written in Latin, a language reserved for typically wealthier people connected to the Catholic Church. Interestingly, most of these owners were wealthier women. 

Book of Hours were made for the owner to keep track of their daily recitations, setting time aside each day and marking the hour when the owner should plan their prayers. To help with this, most Books of Hours, including this one, had a calendar section for the owner to keep track of the numerous saint feast day which might require additional prayers for certain dates. A set of prayers known as The Hours of the Virgin can be found and are the basis for every Book of Hours, set for recitation at regular intervals throughout the day. Twenty-five other elements could be found including excerpts from the Gospels, the Hours of the Cross, Psalms, and prayers to the saints called Suffrages. 

Was the damage done to this page on display inflicted deliberately? It’s also entirely possible that the image has just worn down over the centuries. Perhaps the page was touched frequently by the hands of the book’s owners over the centuries during prayer. The damage makes it difficult to identify the scene in the image; it appears to be a depiction of the Last Judgement, and the surrounding text confirms this. This scene is a specific event in the Second Coming of Christ where Christ will judge the living and dead, deciding who will be allowed to enter Heaven. On the lower portion of the page, small people can be seen rising from their graves and waiting to be judged by the central Christ-like figure on the page. Other depictions of the Second Coming include these details. Touching the face or body of Christ during prayer and recitation in the book would be seen as a way of getting closer to God. This individual Book of Hours reflects the Christian devotion the English had to Christ. 

--Curated by Connor Stull, Department of History Writing Intern 2025