Leaf from a Book of Hours: Calendar Page for May (recto)

c. 1510

Leaf from a Book of Hours: Calendar Page for May (recto), c. 1510. France, Rouen, 16th century. Ink, tempera and liquid gold on vellum; leaf: 18.1 x 12.9 cm (7 1/8 x 5 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection 2011.65.a A calendar containing feast days for the liturgical year is the first section of a book of hours. Here, the major feast days are listed in gold; the lesser ones alternate in red and blue. When illustrated, calendars contain representations of zodiac signs and the labors or activities for that month, used as visual aids for the reader. It is believed that medieval men and women read their books of hours aloud, not silently.