The
book of hours is a Christian
devotional book popular in the
Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval
illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts,
prayers and
psalms, often with appropriate decorations, for
Christian devotion. Illumination or decoration is minimal in many examples, often restricted to decorated capital letters at the start of psalms and other prayers, but books made for wealthy patrons may be extremely lavish, with full-page
miniatures.