The Morgan Black Hours is an illuminated book of hours produced in
Bruges between 1460 and 1480. It is one of seven surviving black books
of hours, all originating from Bruges and dated to the mid- to late 15th
century. They are named for their unusual dark blueish colourisation,
achieved through the expensive process of dyeing the vellum with iron
gall ink. The Morgan Black Hours consists of 121 leaves, most containing
rows of Latin text written in Gothic minuscule script inscribed in
silver and in gold. The pages are typically dyed a deep blueish black,
with borders ornamented with flowers, foliage and grotesques. Although
considered a masterpiece of Late Gothic manuscript illumination, there
are no surviving records of its commission, but its dark tone, expense
of production, quality and rarity suggest ownership by privileged and
sophisticated members of the Burgundian court. It has been in the
collection of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York since 1912.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hours,_Morgan_MS_493>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1846:
Mexican–American War: Mexican forces defeated American troops
over the disputed border of Texas, later serving as the primary
justification for the U.S. Congress's declaration of war on Mexico.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Affair>
1920:
At the San Remo conference, the principal Allies of World War I
passed a resolution allocating League of Nations mandates for the
administration of former Ottoman territories in the Middle East.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Remo_conference>
1960:
The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton completed the first
submerged circumnavigation of the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sandblast>
1990:
Violeta Chamorro took office as president of Nicaragua,
becoming the first female head of state in the Americas to have been
elected in her own right.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violeta_Chamorro>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
chur:
1. (New Zealand, informal) A strong voicing of agreement, approval, or
thanks: awesome!, cheers!, ta!, thanks!.
2. (New Zealand, informal) A parting salutation: bye, see you later.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chur>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The best that most of us can hope to achieve in physics is simply
to misunderstand at a deeper level.
--Wolfgang Pauli
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Pauli>