Hours of Mary of Burgundy

The Hours of Mary of Burgundy is a book of hours produced in Flanders around 1477 for Mary of Burgundy, the sole child of Charles the Bold. It measures 22.5 by 15 cm and has 187 folios. It contains the Roman liturgy of the Hours, including 20 full-page miniatures and 32 small miniatures (the latter including several figured initials). The ink miniature shown here depicts Mary of Burgundy at her devotions. It is now in the Austrian National Library in Vienna (Cod. 1857). Some art historians have hypothesized that the Book of Hours was Mary's wedding present because of the items on the window sill next to her. Pearls represent purity, the veil represents virtue, and the red carnations were often used as love tokens.