Tiny Devotional Book of Hours of Philip II.

Tiny Devotional Book of Hours of Philip II.
Valencia: Ediciones Grial, 1995.
Limited facsimile edition, copy 65/980.
Attached notarial certificate.
Leather binding. With slipcase and magnifying glass.
Measurements: 6.8 x 4.2 cm (book), 32 x 25 x 5 x 5 cm (box).

The Little Book of Hours of Philip II is an illuminated manuscript produced in France during the second quarter of the 16th century, attributed to the so-called workshop of the Hours of 1520, one of the most prolific of the time. It is currently preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid and represents one of the most refined manifestations of late miniated art. Despite its small format, it contains twelve full-page miniatures framed by Renaissance-inspired ornamental architecture and eleven decorative frames that combine elements of the Italian Renaissance with Mannerist details. The manuscript has no coats of arms or emblems of ownership, but its early presence in Spain is attested by additions in the Castilian language and ecclesiastical censorship marks. It has been proposed that it arrived at the Spanish court with Isabella of Valois, third wife of Philip II. The work had a notable influence on the Spanish miniature of its time, both for its stylistic sophistication and for its integration of Italian visual languages within the framework of the French devotional tradition. It is a private codex, intended for individual pious use, which combines high artistic value with historical and bibliographical relevance.