Leaves from a Missal
Unknown Artist
15th century (?)
Medium
Ink and gold on parchment
Dimensions
Overall: 7 3/16 x 5 1/8 in. (18.2 x 13 cm)
Classification
Manuscripts and Illuminations
Culture
Franco-Netherlandish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alice M. Dike, in memory of her father, Henry A. Dike, 1928
Accession Number
28.225.83.1a, b–.8a, b
Art Historical Context
These delicate leaves from a 15th-century Missal, crafted by an unknown Franco-Netherlandish artist, offer a glimpse into the opulent world of medieval liturgy. A Missal was a sacred book containing prayers, readings, and chants for the Roman Catholic Mass, and these pages—measuring just 7 3/16 x 5 1/8 inches—likely served in a church or private chapel. Produced in the late Middle Ages, they hail from a region where French and Netherlandish traditions blended, renowned for their refined illuminations that bridged Gothic elegance and emerging Renaissance naturalism. Rendered in ink and gold on...