The Annunciation to the Shepherds, on a leaf from a Book of Hours, illuminated manuscript in Latin on parchment [northern France (Paris or Rouen), c. 1470]

The Annunciation to the Shepherds, on a leaf from a Book of Hours, illuminated manuscript in Latin on parchment [northern France (Paris or Rouen), c. 1470]

Single leaf, with three-quarter page rectangular miniature with a female shepherd at its midpoint, this figure kneeling and holding a sheep, surrounded by other male shepherds who gaze adoringly as angels holding a banderole descend from above, at the foot a snarling sheepdog, and all before a rolling hillscape with sheep and a walled medieval town, drapery and dogs fur heightened with liquid gold penstrokes, all within a thin gold frame and above a 3-line initial formed of white scrolls on dull gold ground and with 3 lines of text with one-line initials in liquid gold on coloured grounds, border on 3 sides of acanthus leaves and other foliage on dull gold grounds, these panels enclosing 2 enchanting bipedal dragons with down-turned frog-like mouths, 23 lines of text on verso with small initials and line fillers as before, small spots, else excellent condition, 204 by 148mm.