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Book of hours
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==Decoration== [[File:Simon Bening - Mai.jpg|thumb|right|A full-page miniature of May, from a calendar cycle by [[Simon Bening]], early 16th century.]] As many books of hours are richly illuminated, they form an important record of life in the 15th and 16th centuries as well as the [[iconography]] of medieval Christianity. Some of them were also decorated with jewelled covers, portraits, and [[heraldry|heraldic]] emblems. Some were bound as [[girdle book]]s for easy carrying, though few of these or other medieval bindings have survived. Luxury books, like the ''Talbot Hours'' of [[John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury]], may include a portrait of the owner, and in this case his wife, kneeling in adoration of the Virgin and Child as a form of [[donor portrait]]. In expensive books, miniature cycles showed the ''[[Life of the Virgin]]'' or the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion of Christ]] in eight scenes decorating the eight ''Hours of the Virgin'', and the [[Labours of the Months]] and signs of the zodiac decorating the calendar. Secular scenes of calendar cycles include many of the best known images from books of hours, and played an important role in the early history of [[landscape painting]]. From the 14th century decorated borders round the edges of at least important pages were common in heavily illuminated books, including books of hours. At the beginning of the 15th century these were still usually based on foliage designs, and painted on a plain background, but by the second half of the century coloured or patterned backgrounds with images of all sorts of objects, were used in luxury books. Second-hand books of hours were often modified for new owners, even among royalty. After defeating [[Richard III of England|Richard III]], [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] gave Richard's book of hours to his mother, who modified it to include her name. Heraldry was usually erased or over-painted by new owners. Many have handwritten annotations, personal additions and marginal notes but some new owners also commissioned new craftsmen to include more illustrations or texts. Sir Thomas Lewkenor of [[Trotton]] hired an illustrator to add details to what is now known as the ''Lewkenor Hours''. Flyleaves of some surviving books include notes of household accounting or records of births and deaths, in the manner of later family bibles. Some owners had also collected autographs of notable visitors to their house. Books of hours were often the only book in a house, and were commonly used to teach children to read, sometimes having a page with the [[alphabet]] to assist this. Towards the end of the 15th century, printers produced books of hours with [[woodcut]] illustrations, and the book of hours was one of the main works decorated in the related [[metalcut]] technique.
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