The Book of Hours is a work inspired by Chase's time in New York City. On a visit to the Morgan Library he was fascinated by an exhibition of Medieval manuscripts from the 12th century—books filled with elaborate illustrations which made extravagant use of gold leaf in their compositions. He returned several times to study the compositions and construction of the pages and returned to San Francisco with the confidence he could create a Book of Hours on his own. He did not want to use any reference to Christian imagery, but to continue his love of Persian miniatures, and the richness of Islamic art. This book and its popularity with his friends and collectors gave him the enthusiasm to pursue an obsession of creating books that lasted for the next five years. The illustrations below are of only a few of the pages.
