Video from Ziereis Facsimiles
"Sometime in the time period from 1520 to 1525, the famous Flemish book artist, Simon Bening, created one of his greatest works, namely the so-called Flowers Book of Hours. He completed the illuminated #manuscript in his workshops in Ghent and Bruges and furnished it with incomparable full-page #miniatures and marginal decoration on each page of text. The variety of forms of design that Bening chose for the private prayer book is impressive. The decorative pattern of buds and flowers of every kind, of depictions of small birds and insects appear incomparably plastic and realistic. You can find this and many other facsimiles under: www.facsimiles.com" from video introduction
This diminutive Book of Hours is one of Simon Bening’s prayerful jewels, intended for use at regular intervals throughout the twenty-four- hour day (ideally every three hours). It was a reminder of the omnipresence of God, meant to be attached to its owner, or stored with precious possessions. There is a special magic achieved by Bening’s exceptional skill at creating a miniature world. The miniatures follow standard convention, but Bening consistently tweaks the presentation, making this manuscript exceptionally poignant and affecting.." from the article: Book of Hours