3-011-639 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Loan Collection, South-Kensington, 1862. 'A magnificent missal, painted on vellum, with illuminated capitals, and whole leaves painted with illustrations from Scripture history, beautifully finished, 15th century. The cover is ornamented with black enamel scrolls on the borders and back, set with rubies and turquoises alternately, equidistant; on the sides are two large oval red cornelian intaglios of the Crucifixion, with St. Francis receiving the stigmata, and an altar of the Virgin and Child, on one side of which is St. Catherine, with palm-branch, sword, and wheel; on the other a male saint holding a palm-branch, with a castle, inscribed: "O, mater Dei, memento mei". In the angles are cherubs. Above and below the intaglios are two lines of gold letters on white enamel: "Adoramus te, Christo..." and "Maria, mater gratis...". On the clasp is a large cut garnet. Horace Walpole, in whose collection it was formerly, says: "This precious Prayer-book belonged to Claude, Queen of France, wife of Francis I., and seems to have belonged to Thuanus." It was bought by him at Dr. Mead's sale, in 1755; and at the sale of the Strawberry Hill collection, in 1842, it became the property of the Earl of Waldegrave. Frances, Countess of Waldegrave'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862.