Art

TEFAF & Bank of America Fund Rare ‘Black Book of Hours’ Restoration

A medieval Black Book of Hours will undergo conservation thanks to TEFAF’s Museum Restoration Fund and Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera May 5, 2025

Black Book of Hours restoration — Courtesy of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. Photos: Kirk Davis Swinehart

In the lead‑up to TEFAF New York 2025 (May 9–13), the fair announced that the Hispanic Society Museum & Library will receive this year’s TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF) grant—jointly supported, for the first time, by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. Their target? Horae beatae Mariae secundum usum curie romane—better known as the Black Book of Hours—one of only seven surviving illuminated manuscripts executed on black‑stained vellum.

Dating to circa 1458 and likely owned by Queen Maria of Castile, this jewel‑toned devotional volume will now undergo a meticulous conservation that addresses structural strain caused by a tight 19th‑century binding, micro‑tears, pigment bloom, and environmental vulnerabilities.

What Makes This Manuscript So Rare?

Material Marvel: Black‑dyed vellum was a luxury novelty in the late Middle Ages; its production involved soaking calfskin in iron gall, making stable preservation a challenge.
Royal Provenance: Heraldic clues suggest the book was a bereavement gift following King Alfonso V of Aragón’s death in 1458.
Flemish Craftsmanship: Though Spanish‑owned, stylistic analysis pins the illuminator to a Flemish workshop—testimony to cross‑court patronage.

How Will the Restoration Unfold?

Disbinding of 149 folios to relieve pressure.
Condition Mapping for tears, loss, and metal‑leaf corrosion.
Micro‑sampling of vellum, gold, and silver to set conservation baselines.
Rehousing in custom mounts to facilitate research without handling.
High‑resolution digitization for global scholarly access.

Visitors to TEFAF NY can view the manuscript before treatment—a rare public peek at an object usually stored in Washington Heights.

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Why Team Up with Bank of America?

Since 2010, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project has funded restoration for over 275 artworks in 40 countries. This new collaboration doubles TMRF’s grant pool to €100,000 for 2025, split between projects at the Hispanic Society (NY) and the Condé Museum (Chantilly).

“Art is often vulnerable to the passage of time… we saw an opportunity to amplify impact,” says Brian Siegel, Bank of America’s Global Arts, Culture & Heritage Executive.

What’s Next?

Panel Talk: The Black Book of Hours and the Role of Philanthropy in Manuscript Preservation—May 10, moderated by Met objects conservator Carolyn Riccardelli.
Post‑Restoration Display: Upon completion, the manuscript will return to the Hispanic Society’s reading room with a new digital surrogate for worldwide study.

Black Book of Hours Restoration 2025

Where can I see the manuscript? At TEFAF New York 2025, Park Avenue Armory, May 9–13 (preview May 8).
Why is it called a ‘Black’ Book of Hours? Because its vellum pages were dyed black—an expensive, highly symbolic process.
How many Black Books of Hours exist? Only seven complete examples are known worldwide.
Who oversees the treatment? The Hispanic Society’s conservation team in consultation with external manuscript specialists.

With support from TEFAF and Bank of America, the Black Book of Hours restoration ensures this nocturnal masterpiece survives another six centuries—proof that strategic philanthropy can turn fragile pages into durable portals to the past.