Hours of Yolande of Flanders (BL Yates Thompson 27)

Annunciation to the shepherds, f. 70v.

Colloquial name(s): the Hours of Yolande of Flanders

Official name(s): British Library, Yates Thompson 27

Date: between 1353 and 1363 (source)

Origin: Paris, Central France (source)

Online facsimile available via: British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

This manuscript was made for Yolande of Flanders (b. 1326, d. 1395), for or after her marriage to Philippe of Navarre (d. 1363) (source). This is known as it contains Yolande's coats of arms following her marriage on numerous folios (source). It is known to have been, in 1380, in an inventory of Charles V, king of France (b. 1338, d. 1380, king 1364-1380) (source). It is hypothesised that it may have been acquired by Charles from Yolande when she fled imprisonment in 1372, abandoning many of her possessions in the process (source).

The illustrations are attributed to Jean le Noir or his daughter, Bourgot (source). The manuscript is related to several royal books of hours that are connected with these two artists including the Hours of Jeanne de Navarre (Yolande's mother-in-law), BNF NAL 3145, and the Hours of Bonne of Luxembourg, New York Cloisters MS 69.86 (source).

The manuscript is illustrated with 24 scenes in the upper and lower margins which are placed at the beginning of each month in the calendar (ff. 1r-12r); 9 full-page miniatures at the beginning of the Hours of the Virgin and the Penitential Psalms; and numerous large historiated initials (source). All of the text pages also have full foliate borders which include many grotesque figures (source).

Unfortunately, the manuscript was badly damaged in a flood in 1846 whilst in the collection of John Boykett Jarman (d. 1864) (source). This has affected the illustrations, rendering many of them smudged and reduced in colour.

Basic descriptions for some of the illustrations are provided by the British Library with the facsimile.