1523 - Leaf From A Book Of Hours In Latin. Venice: Lucantonio Giunta, 1523 Incunabula, Early Printings & Manuscripts,Philosophy & Religion

This leaf from a Book of Hours was printed in 1523 by the famous Florentine printer, Luca-Antonia Giunta. Its pages are adorned with vignettes, borders, decorations, lines, majescules, etc. in an effort to make appear much like a manuscript document. He constructed his borders from smaller sections which were set into the printing forme along with the type. This allowed them to be mixed and matched economically throughout the book to vary the decorations and make them appear unique. This leaf, which measures 4" x 6" was printed in red and black. It is titled "Septe psalmi penititetutes (Seven Penitential Psalms or Seven Psalms of Confession)" and features a large majuscule "D" illustrated with the image of King David. It begins with the first of the Penitential Psalms, Psalms 6, which is traditionally attributed to King David, and is part of the Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and other Protestant liturgies. "Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me. . . (Lord, do not accuse me in your anger. . .") . Books of Hours were prayer books for the well-to-do laity that developed in late medieval Europe which were used for private devotion. They usually included a calendar of liturgical feast days and series of prayers to be recited daily according to established practice. Their popularity proved the growing interest of the laity in speaking directly with God and the saints, rather than exclusively through ordained clergy. Luca-Antonia Giunta began his career as a Florentine stationer in 1477. In 1489, he began publishing books, and by 1491, he was a full-time publisher and printer. During his lifetime, he issued over 400 different titles. .