#laborsofthemonths

[upennmanuscripts]

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The golden days of autumn... from the calendar page for October in a French Book of Hours, ca. 1475, in the collections of the Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E 212, currently being digitized @upennlib as part of the #bibliophilly project @freelibraryrarebooks @upenninstagram @kislakcenter #calendar #october #sewing #fields #agriculture #laborsofthemonths #bookofhours #medievalmanuscript #illuminated #months #autumn #fall #redletterdays (at University of Pennsylvania)

[e-codices]

Scene from “Labors of the month December” on Flickr.

DECEMBER Labors of the month December are generally associated with killing of animals for the winter. The scene usually shows one man who stands over a boar or an oxen with a hatchet. Being that every part of the animal was used, often the dead animal is shown as opposed to the killing, and the carving is the labor. Sometimes the scene shows draining of the animal blood in a bowl, usually done by a woman, whilst the man stands over it with sharpened knifes. Link to “Labors of the month December” set Manuscript title: Book of Hours Origin: Nantes ? (France) Period: 15th century Image source: Genève, Bibliothèque de Genève, Ms. lat. 33, p. 12r – Book of Hours ( www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/bge/lat0033/12r )

[e-codices]

Scene from “Labors of the month February” on Flickr.

February Labors of the month February in many ways replicate scenes from the January composition. The scene usually shows a male figure, sometimes sitting in a chair, and warming himself by the fire. His hands are nearly always facing the fire, and in some cases he is removing his shoes which he also warms with the heat. In some occasions, the scene depicts an outdoor landscape with a man cutting trees with an axe, trimming vine or digging in the field. Link to the Labors of the month February set. Manuscript title: Codex Schürstab Origin: Nürnberg (Germany) Period: 15th century Image source: Zürich, Zentralbibliothek, Ms. C 54, p. 7r – Codex Schürstab ( www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/zbz/C0054/7r )