Fifteenth-Century Nun’s Prayer Book

[Nun’s prayer book].
[Germany, ca. 1475].
Illuminated manuscript on vellum. (BRMS 91)

Written for fifteenth-century nuns in a Bavarian dialect, this tiny manuscript contains two miniatures that introduce lengthy prayers to St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Sebastian. Other prayers invoke saints who enjoyed particular popularity in Bavaria, including St. Leonard and St. Odilia. The tools used to decorate the binding likewise indicate localization within Bavaria.