Culture Minister places export bar on illuminated manuscript

Culture Minister, David Lammy, has placed a temporary export bar on a 15th century illuminated manuscript of the Hours of the Passion.

Previously unavailable to scholars and mostly absent in literature on manuscript illumination of the period, the bar will provide a last chance to raise the money to keep the manuscript in the United Kingdom.

The manuscript comes from the collection of the late Lord Wardington and is a book of hours of the highest quality from the Bedford Workshop in Paris, the most important centre of manuscript illumination in Europe in the 15th century.

The decision on the export licence application for the manuscript will be deferred for a period ending on June 17. This period may be extended until October 17 if a serious intention to raise funds with a view to making an offer to purchase the manuscript at the recommended price of £635,200.00 excluding VAT is expressed

(24 Hour Museum, News in Brief - 19 April 2007)