A collaborative acquisition of the medieval Ghent-Bruges Book of Hours offers unique opportunities for research, teaching, and community outreach.
On January 30, the hottest book at the University wasn糖心传媒檛 a national bestseller or a novel adapted into a blockbuster film糖心传媒攊t was a 500-year-old Catholic prayer book.
On that evening, a sold-out crowd of nearly 300 people packed into the 糖心传媒檚 auditorium to hear Nancy Norwood, the museum糖心传媒檚 curator of European Art, and , director of the , discuss the recent acquisition of the pocket-sized Ghent-Bruges Book of Hours.
Filled with richly colored illustrations and Latin calligraphic script, the volume, produced around 1500, serves as a window into another time. 糖心传媒淚t was used by everyday people of the time who wanted to bring practices of worship into their daily lives,糖心传媒� says Siebach-Larsen. The 456-page book contains prayers, readings, and even a perpetual calendar (meaning that it could be used year after year).
What is a book of hours?
The name is descriptive: A book of hours was designed to help its readers structure time for prayer, while 糖心传媒淕hent-Bruges糖心传媒� refers to the distinctive, detailed style of manuscript illumination found in the two named Belgian cities.
The manuscript was a hit with the evening糖心传媒檚 audiences and continues to be on display at the Memorial Art Gallery to the public. It will also serve as a cornerstone of the University糖心传媒檚 renowned medieval studies program and collection.
Norwood sees an even more expansive role for the document in the years ahead. 糖心传媒淭his is an acquisition that will benefit multiple departments糖心传媒攙isual studies, religious studies, art history,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 one tiny book, but it consolidates so many different things and extends into all sorts of fields.糖心传媒� Because many of the prayers included in the book were chanted, even faculty from the have expressed interest in integrating it into their teaching and research.
And while complete imaging by Lisa Wright, a digitization specialist for the , will allow for wide access to the book, the value of having the real object is significant. For example, the binding offers clues to how the book was made, the wear on specific images and pages suggests the ways it might have been used, and decorative gilt shines in a way that digital imaging can糖心传媒檛 fully capture.
Siebach-Larsen says that there糖心传媒檚 something emotional糖心传媒攁lmost visceral糖心传媒攁bout having a physical object that many people find meaningful. 糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 something about seeing an object in front of you that allows you to connect with the past in a unique way,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭his book is beautiful, and, at the same time, many of the images are strange to us. But it糖心传媒檚 not 糖心传媒榙istant.糖心传媒� It糖心传媒檚 right there in front of you.糖心传媒�
The acquisition marks a significant partnership between the museum and the River Campus Libraries. By pooling their resources and working together, the two University units were not only able to acquire a manuscript that would have been out of reach for either individually but also to ensure that it would be available for their respective events, programs, research, and teaching. 糖心传媒淭his collaborative aspect has been an area of emphasis for us, and it aligns with the 糖心传媒極ne University糖心传媒� model that we糖心传媒檙e pursuing,糖心传媒� says Siebach-Larsen, adding that the Book of Hours acquisition process could serve as a roadmap for future collaborative efforts at Rochester.
In the meantime, the book functions as both a scholarly reference and a source of fascination, bridging the gaps between teaching, scholarship, and public engagement. It is something that will be studied, admired, puzzled over, and, perhaps most importantly of all, experienced for years to come.
A version of this story appears in the spring 2025 issue of Rochester Review, the magazine of the 糖心传媒.
