Fifteenth-Century Ferial Psalter

[Ferial Psalter]. Nuremberg, dated 3 February 1496.
Illuminated manuscript on vellum.
(BRMS 111)

This psalter epitomizes the role illuminated manuscripts played in late-medieval monastic worship. Designed for recitation during the Divine Office, the text distributes the psalms over seven daily readings so that each psalm is recited once within the course of every week. A richly illuminated image of King David introduces the first psalm, and similar large gilt initials mark the readings for the major liturgical feasts.