A type once common to southern England, c.1425, it is today one of only around 30 known to be extant, nearly all of which are confined to major institutional collections.
These almanacs (shown open and folded in its original silk-lined leather covering) were intended for practical use by physicians, who used astrological calculations to establish prognoses and the most auspicious timings for medical interventions.
Their form allowed them to be suspended from the waist for quick reference, hence the alternative name of ‘girdle book’.
Estimate £10,000-20,000.
