Sarum Missal

[Missal. Sarum Use, in Latin].
Illuminated manuscript on vellum.
[England, c. 1418]. (Prothro B-212)

This magnificently illuminated Missal contains all of the prayers, hymns, and biblical passages read by a priest during the celebration of the Sarum rite of the Mass throughout the year. “Sarum Use” refers to the Anglo-Saxon and Norman liturgy codified in the eleventh century by St. Osmund, Bishop of Sarum (Salisbury). An outstanding example of the joyful decoration typical of fifteenth-century English manuscripts, the Missal was presented by Henry Chichele (c. 1364–1443), Archbishop of Canterbury, to his niece on the occasion of her wedding for use in her family’s private chapel.