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he most beautiful manuscript of the Burgundian royal house is kept in the copperplate-cabinet of the Berlin Prussian Museum. It represents some of the most fascinating artworks ever produced. In a handy format of a little more than ten by seven centimetres the Berlin Book of Hours of Marie de Bourgogne and the Emperor Maximillian contains 363 pages of richly pictorial work.

91 pages include magnificent paintings and ornamentation: 36 miniature paintings within the text, 11 larger size miniatures, also 16 decorated pages and no fewer than 27 full page illuminations.

The illuminations are surrounded by borders that are highly imaginative ornamentation of nature, a large number of different flowers, fruits and butterflies among others as well as the initials of Marie and Maximillian incorporated into the magnificent borders. This, and many other initials in addition to the coat of arms leave little doubt as to the original owner. A further evidence is autograph of Maximillian inserted in the text.

The Codex must have been created around the time of the marriage of Marie and Maximillian between 1477 and 1482. So that it is one of the earliest examples of Burgundian book illumination that reached its peak during the 16th Century. With graphic floral illuminations in the borders surrounding magnificent detail-rich paintings depicting scenes from the Bible and the stories of the Saints. The artist depicts interior areas and broad landscapes comparable to some of the best artists of the period, developing a contest between traditional art and book illumination.

The "Master of the Marie of Burgundy Book of Hours" was able to keep everything to scale even in such miniature paintings, something even the traditional artists found difficulty in achieving. More than a generation later the great Simon Bening took many of his ideas from The Berlin Hours of Marie de Bourgogne. The book and its delicate paintings had become the basis for the familiar stories repeated by book illuminators for years to come. The illuminations portray believable scenes of the passion and martyrdom, the infant Jesus and Mary.

Since the time period depicted in the paintings was far removed from the time of their making, the artist has incorporated features from his own time which gives an inexhaustible mirror into the lives of Marie and Maximillian, their home life, Marie's early death and Maxirnillian's activities in the succession wars.

The name of the artist who painted these magnificent miniatures is not known. In a fascinating way Bodo Brinkmann in the commentary volume traces the trails of the "Master of the Marie of Burgundy Book of Hours" and theorises that he may be an already well known "Viennese Master".

The most celebrated and puzzling miniature however, is undoubtedly the full-picture of the "Three Living and the Three Deads". It is quite obvious that the figure underneath on the left is a portrait of Marie. Was this representation included through a premonition of the artist or included after her death on the instructions of Maximillian? The Commentary volume investigates this problem and offers a possible solution.

The Berlin Book of Hours of Marie de Bourgogne and the Emperor Maximillian is kept today in the Berlin Prussian Museum under "Signatur 78 B 12".

The facsimile edition is limited to 980 copies world-wide and has been produced with the close co-operation of Faksimile Verlag Luzern and Coron Verlag. All 724 pages have been produced in the original format of 10.3 x 7 cm and includes 36 miniature paintings within the text, 11 larger size miniatures, also 16 decorated pages and no fewer than 27 full page illuminations. The book edges are gold covered on all three sides. The binding is in Bordeaux-red velvet with one clasp made out of gilt sterling silver. The facsimile volume is stored in a leather-case.

The scholarly commentary volume of this facsimile edition is written by several authors: Prof. Dr. Eberhard König explores the relationship of word and picture; Dr. Bodo Brinkmann explores the confusion over who the artist was; Prof Dr. Fedja Anzelewski investigates the lives of Marie of Burgundy and Maximillian as well as the story of their marriage; Dr. Frauke Steenbock follows the complicated story of the Codex.

The commentary volume includes 182 pages with 139 illustrations, partially in colour.

A documentation kit containing 2 sample pages, in the original size, from the Berlin Book of Hours of Marie de Bourgogne Fine Art Facsimile Volume, plus an illustrated, 12 page information brochure, is available for $US70.