Leaf on vellum from a printed Book of Hours.

An early incunabulum ca 1500, printed and the large initials hand painted in Paris by Hardouin, who had his workshop near the Notre Dame.
At the end of the Middle Ages the art of printing was used for Books of Hours, but the appearance of the books had to be much like the manuscript editions of the ages in the past: the letters were copied from the scribes and the decorations were hand painted: So the initials and line fillers were colored by hand in red, blue and gold.
Around the text is an architectural border and very vivid metal cuts: hunting scenes and fabulous animals.
Let?s have a look at the text on this leaf : it is not difficult to read , it is the last part of the Litany*, a series of petitions called the ?Ab?s ?, ?Per?s ? and ?Ut?s ?*. [ the recto, second line from the top.]
Propitius esto: exaudi, nos domine.
Ab omni malo: Libera nos domine.
Ab omni peccato: Libera nos domine.
Ab ira tua : Libera nos domine.
From all evil, O Lord, deliver us.
From all sin, O Lord, deliver us.
From thy wrath, O Lord, deliver us.
From sudden and unforeseen death, deliver us.