The Month of January

“The month of January” comes from the medieval work called “Les Tres Riches Heures.” Translated, it means “The Book of Hours” and it was an illustrated collection of text for each liturgical hour of the day. The manuscript was the work of three brothers, Paul, Hermann and Jean Limbourg from Flanders, who also painted the additional scenes to accompany the text. Completed sometime between 1412 and 1416, this tapestry represents events for the month of January, the traditional month of giving gifts to celebrate the New Year. In this scene we see the royal court in a festive mood, celebrating the year to come. It was originally woven in 1525 at Gobelins Manufactory, then copied in 1688 from the original work of the three brothers. The original is housed in the castle of Pau in France. This tapestry “The month of January” is lined and comes with a rod sleeve for easy hanging.