Manuscript Illuminated Leaf (58 results)

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A facsimile of an illuminated leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript. Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Mount size approx 12 x 10 inches . Very good condition. Circa 1880. Shows - in colour - a leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript - Portrait of Chaucer and text from Thomas Hoccleve's Poem ' De Regimine Principum@ - - rich colouring - from a MS in the British Museum.…

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A splendid original antique scene Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Excellent condition . A facsimile leaf from an . illuminated manuscript leaf Shows . a page of illuminated illustration entitled .'Illuminator presenting Manuscript to Patron' the Harleian M.S.7026 British Museum.…

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A facsimile of an illuminated leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript. Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Mount size approx 12 x 10 inches . Very good condition. Circa 1880. Shows - in colour - a leaf from Aelfric - 'The Paraphrase of the Pentateuch .

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A facsimile of an illuminated leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript. Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Mount size approx 12 x 10 inches . Very good condition. Circa 1880. Shows - in colour - a leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript - Lydgate presenting his poem to the King - rich colouring - from the Harleian MS in the British Museum.…

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A facsimile of an illuminated leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript. Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Mount size approx 12 x 10 inches . Very good condition. Circa 1880. Shows - in colour - a leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript - text and fine illustration of Canterbury Pilgrims - - rich colouring - from a MS in the British Museum.…

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A facsimile of an illuminated leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript. Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Mount size approx 12 x 10 inches . Very good condition. Circa 1880. Shows - in colour - a leaf from Layamon's Brut. - from the Cotton Ms.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. A facsimile of an illuminated leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript. Mounted - matted - and ready to frame. Mount size approx 12 x 10 inches . Very good condition. Circa 1880. Shows - in colour - a leaf from a Mediaeval Manuscript - an illustrations from Mandeville's 'Travels' - - rich colouring - from a MS in the British Museum.…

Single leaf, vellum, corner cut away, illuminated both sides in colour and gilt. 175 x 130 mm.

22 x 21.75 cm. Double-columned, double-sided single signature, 32 lines. The leaf features 69 gilt initials with embellished pen-work, 2 of them larger with blue backgrounds and the rest smaller with beige or dark brown (matching text ink) backgrounds, with some additional red lettering and the heading "Psalms." 4 pp. Fine vellum; some initials faintly faded with gilt and colors otherwise bright and text clear. Fine. Although not fully translated, this signature was likely once part of a psalter. It features part of a litany from the Book of Hoursâ"Psalm 70 in its entirety, moving into a call-and-response from with red letters marking the call v. the response, beginning with "V: Salvos fac servos tuos" and cutting off at "R: aeternam dona eis. . ." Due to the structure of books, the page opposite the beginning of this litany is not the page that should numerically follow it were it still bound, and so it is broken early. The leaf also features almost all of Psalm 37," ending with "Qui retribuunt mala pro. . .".…

A single leaf from a French Book of Hours, produced ca.1480-1500. Executed on paper (we believe). Some wrinkling at the edges, fine condition . Leaf size is about 9 x 12 cm., in a frame measuring 22 x 26 cm. Attractively matted and framed in a reversible frame, so that both sides of the leaf are visible. Eighteen lines of Latin text in black & red, with seven illuminated capitals; the verso bears seven lines of text, one initial and a small illuminated panel. This leaf was the end of a section, the verso being only partly lettered. The text is from the Hours of the Cross at Vespers, including the hymn "De cruce deponitur". The Latin text of the hymn begins with the blue initial 'D': "De cruce deponitur hora vespertina. fortitudo latuit in mente divina. Talem mortem subiit vitæ medicina. heu corona gloriæ iacuit supina." An English translation is approximately: "At the hour of eventide Christ from his cross was taken. In whose soul his fortitude did covertly remain. Such a death vouchsafed to take of life the medicine sound. Glory's crown alas the while lay grovelling on the ground.".…

A single leaf from a French Book of Hours, produced ca.1480-1500. Executed on paper (we believe). Some wrinkling at the edges, fine condition . Leaf size is about 9 x 12 cm., in a frame measuring 22 x 26 cm. Attractively matted and framed in a reversible frame, so that both sides of the leaf are visible. Seventeen lines of Latin text in black & red, with eight illuminated capitals on the recto; seven illuminated capitals on the verso. The text on this leaf includes "Quia fecit in magna qui potens est" from the canticle Magnificat, or The Song of Mary, and was set to music by Bach in 1723, his "Magnificat". The Magnificat is usually sung or recited during the main evening prayer service, at Vespers in the Catholic and Lutheran churches, and Evening Prayer (Evensong) in the Anglican Church. In Eastern Christianity, the Magnificat is sung at Matins.…

First Edition. LEAFS FROM A 15TH-CENTURY FRENCH BOOK OF HOURS, BEAUTIFUL FLORAL DESIGNS. Illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum from a Latin Book of Hours. Beautiful gilded design with diversely colored extensions, including dark pink, light red, and subtle shades of blue, gold, black, and green. Floral-patterned designs outside the text feature flowers and fruits. Seventeen lines of text per page.2 2-line initals and 13 1-line initials in burnished gold on pink and blue backgrounds. Red rubrics. Text includes psalms 110, 113, and 122. Text in Latin reads: Implebit ruinas: conquassabit capita in terra multorum. De torrente in via bibet: propterea exaltabit caput Gloria patri. Psalmus. Laudate pueri dominum: laudate nomen dñi. Sit nomen dñi benedictum ex hoc nunc usque in saeculum. A solis ortu usque ad occasum sum laudabile nomen dñi. Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus super caelos gloria eius. Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster qui in altis habitat et humilia respiciat in caelo et in terra. Suscitans a terra inopem Et desolatos cogens pauperem Ut collocet eum cum principibus cum principibus p? sui Qui habitare facit i? sterilem i? domo matrem filioru? laetante? Gloria patri. Psalmus Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi in domum domini ibimus. Stantes erant pedes n[ost]ri in atriis tuis Ierusalem. Ierusalem que edificat[ur] ut civitas cuius participatio eius in idipsum. Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus tribus d[omi]ni: testimonium israhel ad confiten[du]m no?i English Translation: He will fill [the places] with ruins; he will crush heads in the land of many. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore shall he lift up his head. Glory be to the Father. Praise the Lord, you children; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations; his glory is above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, and looks down upon the lowly in heaven and on earth? He raises the poor from the earth and lifts the needy out of the dungheap, that he may seat him with princes, with the princes of his people. He makes the barren woman dwell in a house as a joyful mother of children. Glory be to the Father. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which is built as a city that is compact together. For there the tribes have gone up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony to Israel, to praise the name of the Lord. This passage includes recitations of Psalms 110, 113, and 122 in fine Gothic Quadrata Script. This manuscript is especially notable for its intricate border drawings containing floral designs and fine detailing. These sheets are also unique for their diverse hues. As ink was often difficult to acquire, different shades of green, pink, and red might be indicative of a wealthier client able to afford more color Size of leaf: 161 x 119 mm Likely Paris: c. 1450. Slight staining to outer margins that does not impact text or border. …

Condition: Very Good. First Edition. BEAUTIFUL LEAF FROM AN EARLY 15TH CENTURY BOOK OF HOURS; PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS. Illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum from a Book of Hours in Latin. Utrecht, Netherlands, early 15th century (c. 1425). Single column, 18 lines of text on each side in ink, additional two lines written outside of the rubrication. Two 3-line initials on verso in gold on blue and pink backgrounds. 6 additional gold 1-line initials on recto with blue and red penwork. Line extensions in blue and red with gold. Text from Isaiah 12:2-6, followed by Gloria Patri. Size: 122 x 97 mm Netherlands, Use of Utrecht: c. 1425. Some discoloration to margins. Stain on text recto. …

300 x 243 mm. (11 5/8 x 9 1/2"). Single column, 27 lines, in a lovely proto-gothic hand, including lines in red and black uncials. Rubrics in red, two one-line initials in red, AN EIGHT-LINE (83 mm. tall) WHITE-VINE INITIAL outlined in red and filled in with blue and green. Lower margin of recto with a 20th century note in red ink (see below). Recovered from a binding and thus the vellum on one side noticeably darkened (with a large lighter patch where a label may have been removed), the other side faded, with half the text illegible, top edge trimmed close, vertical crease going through initial, much of the white in the capital now a light gray, other minor issues, but still an impressive leaf, the once beautiful initial largely well preserved, with its blue paint still rich. Containing an elegant proto-gothic script and a striking white-vine initial, this leaf is an excellent example of early Austrian manuscript production. The large initial "A" is formed with foliate designs outlined in red, given shape by coloring in the negative space with an intense azure blue and moss green. This style would later become a model for the Italian Humanist scribes and illuminators of 15th and 16th centuries, who substituted glistening gold leaf for the vibrant yellow paint favored by some artists of the Romanesque period. The text of this leaf mainly includes readings for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost, consisting of III Kings 2:1-17 (beginning "Adpropinquauerunt dies David"), according to the Vulgate numbering. It describes the Death of King David, who instructs his son Solomon to keep the ways of God. With large and elegant letterforms executed by a steady hand, this leaf almost certainly belonged to a Lectionary owned by a Romanesque church in Salzburg. According to the source from which we purchased this leaf, it was shown in 1893 to the Medieval historian (and later the Abbot of St. Peter's, Salzburg) Willibald Hauthaler (1843-1922), who wrote in very small letters the identification in red ink along the lower edge. It was later owned by the Salzburg-based merchant, artist, and collector Carl von Frey (1826-96). It appeared at Christie's in 2010 where (along with five sister leaves) it sold for £13,970. Despite some condition issues related to its reuse in a later binding, this leaf is still very impressive because of its beautiful calligraphy and decoration.…

321 x 230 mm. (12 5/8 x 9"). Double column, 39 lines, in a dense gothic hand. Rubric in red. Recovered from a binding, and so the vellum a bit creased and soiled (though less soiled than is often seen), some tiny remnants of later printed text from reuse, but the text almost entirely legible, and the leaf surprisingly well preserved overall, with its very substantial margins fully intact. Once serving as a cover for a later book, this leaf seems to come from an unpublished collection of sermons incorporating biblical excerpts such as Revelation 12:1 ("A great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars"). The lack of decoration and simple rubrication suggest that the parent manuscript was made for utilitarian purposes at a time when a need for such books increased, due in part to the rise of mendicant orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans. Members of these orders rejected traditional monastic isolation and instead settled in urban centers to preach and minister to the people. It is unusual (and very lucky) that this leaf survives completely intact, as Medieval manuscripts used in later bindings were often cut down in size to make smaller covers or used as waste paper for pastedowns or other binding elements. Considerable rewarding research remains to be done to identify the content here, along with its various religious and social contexts.…

335 x 224 mm. (13 1/4 x 8 7/8"). Double column, 29 lines, in an elegant proto-gothic book hand. Rubrics in red, 11 two- to three-line initials in red. Recovered from a binding and so the vellum creased and soiled (the verso more soiled than the recto), but everything entirely legible, and a substantial leaf from a once handsome manuscript that remains in pleasing condition. Later serving as a cover for a book, this leaf comes from a nearly contemporaneous copy of Peter Lombard's "Sentences," considered the most important theological book of the 12th century. Written between 1155 and 1158 and arranged topically, Lombard's "Sententiae" summarize past learning about Christian doctrine by quoting authorities in an attempt to resolve textual disagreement by dialectical analysis. As a source collection that continued to spark discussion, Lombard's great work enjoyed sustained success as a theological textbook until the 17th century and inspired numerous commentaries, including those of Aquinas and Luther. This leaf comes from Book IV, "On the Doctrine of Signs," which is primarily concerned with the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The script is an upright and very legible proto-gothic book hand with a few distinctive letter forms and abbreviations that may help determine a more definitive point of origin (these include a "g" with a downward cross on its tail, and a conjoined "qe" for "que"). It is unusual (and very lucky) that this leaf survives completely intact, as Medieval manuscripts used in later bindings were often cut down in size to make smaller covers or used as waste paper for pastedowns or other binding elements.…

159 x 104 mm. (6 1/4 x 4 1/8"). Double column, 25 lines, two sizes of text in a gothic book hand. Rubrics in red, several calligraphic initials touched in red, two five- to six-line "I" initials in pink with white embellishment on painted pink ground with long extenders and gilt bezants, one four-line initial in pink and blue with white embellishments enclosing a charming big-eared drollery with a dragon-like body and the head of a beast, the whole on a gilt ground, with long painted extenders. Upper corners with modern pencil pagination. A hint of rumpling, but in very fine condition, the letters especially well preserved. From a Breviary made for Cistercian use, this attractive leaf displays all the hallmarks of an expensive production, including beautifully rendered initials (including a particularly nice inhabited capital), skillful use of gold, and a lovely book hand. A substantial fragment of the original manuscript (consisting of 128 leaves) sold for £36,000 all in as lot 90 on 5 July 2005 at Sotheby's, where it was attributed to the Amiens area based on the presence of 12 lessons for the city's first bishop, St. Firminus. Sotheby's description notes that "It could be from the Cistercian nunnery of the Paraclete near Amiens, founded in 1219. It is remarkable to find polychrome illumination of such high quality in a book for use by a monastic order famous for its austerity and plainly decorated books." Individual leaves from this manuscript have appeared in other sales at Sotheby's (most recently 23 May 2017, lot 4), at Christie's (14 December 2022, lot 7), and in Maggs' Bulletin 10 (nos. 42-43) and Catalogue 1262 (no. 13).…

319 x 244 mm. (12 1/2 x 9 1/2"). Single column, 27 lines, in a lovely proto-gothic hand. Rubrics in red, two one-line initials and one two-line initial in red, WITH A LARGE (140 mm.) WHITE-VINE INITIAL INHABITED BY A BIRD, outlined in red and filled in with blue and green. Lower margin of recto with a 20th century note in red ink identifying the text. Recovered from a binding and thus with overall darkening, top half of verso somewhat soiled, with top line obscured (though with all other letters on both sides very distinct), cut a little close to the thin red extension of the initial, a few minor holes (inlcuding one elongated one through the top part of the initial, with minimal loss). Even with these defects, a powerfully attractive leaf with memorable decoration and script. Containing a beautiful proto-gothic script and an exceptional Romanesque initial, this leaf is a particularly desirable example of early Austrian manuscript production. The opening initial "F" is formed with foliate designs outlined in red, given shape by coloring in the negative space with an intense azure blue and moss green. Adding to the initial's charm is a large bird perched on one of the curving branches, turning its head to the right as if to read the text (like the initial, it is also outlined in red). The white-vine style seen here would later become a model for the Italian Humanist scribes and illuminators of 15th and 16th centuries, who substituted glistening gold leaf for the vibrant yellow paint favored by some artists of the Romanesque period. The text here is from St. John Chrysostom's homily on St. Matthew 22:34-40, an account of the Pharisees questioning Jesus on God's law, asking "which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus famously replies with the key tenets of the Christian faith: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets." This text was the Gospel reading for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost, preceded by the incipit "Frequenter iudei diversis interrogationibus" ("The Jews repeatedly tested him with various questions"). The present leaf almost certainly belonged to a Lectionary owned by a Romanesque church in Salzburg, a manuscript that was later dismembered for use in bookbinding. According to the source from which we purchased this leaf, it was shown in 1893 to the Medieval historian (and later the Abbot of St. Peter's, Salzburg) Willibald Hauthaler (1843-1922), who wrote the identification in red ink along the lower edge. It was later owned by the Salzburg-based merchant, artist, and collector Carl von Frey (1826-96). It appeared at Christie's in 2010 where (along with five sister leaves) it sold for £13,970.…

191 x 140 mm. (7 1/2 x 5 1/2"). Single column, 16 lines, in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in gold, line-fillers with color foliate and geometric designs on burnished gold ground, three two-line initials in blue or pink enclosing colored vines with foliage on gold ground, BOTH SIDES WITH A DENSE RINCEAUX BORDER consisting of colorful acanthus, flowers, and many hairline vines terminating in gold leaves, ivy and seed pods, and with numerous gilt bezants. IN BRILLIANT CONDITION. This is an extraordinarily fine and opulently decorated leaf from a Book of Hours, with glittering rinceaux borders, delicate initials, and luxurious gold rubrics. These sumptuous details and the high quality of the work indicate that this leaf was part of a costly manuscript commissioned by a wealthy patron. Other leaves from the same parent manuscript were sold at Bloomsbury on 6 December 2017, lots 63 and 64. One of those leaves showed St. Genèvieve leading the female saints in the Litany, pointing to Paris as the place of origin.…

First Edition. LEAF FROM A 13TH CENTURY BIBLE CONTAINING STORY OF JOSEPH. Illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum from a Bible in Latin. Northern France, likely Paris, c. 1250. Written in two columns of forty-five lines in a fine Gothic script in dark brown ink. Large initial P (verso). The text spans Genesis 42-44. In this portion of Genesis,Joseph tests his brothers during the famine, culminating in Judah's offer to sacrifice himself for Benjamin. The fine Gothic pearl script, precise ruling, and rich illumination are characteristic of Parisian Bible production during the height of manuscript refinement in the mid-13th century. These portable Bibles were widely produced for university and ecclesiastical use. Size: 124 x 84 mm (4.9 x 3.3 inches); written Area: 96 x 64 mm (3.8 x 2.5 inches) Likely Paris: c.1250. Small hole in upper margin edge not impacting text. A bright and clean leaf in excellent condition.…

First Edition. LEAF FROM A 13TH CENTURY BIBLE CONTAINING JACOB'S REUNION WITH JOSEPH THROUGH THE BLESSING OF JACOB'S SONS. Illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum from a Bible in Latin. Northern France, likely Paris, c. 1250. Written in two columns of forty-five lines, in a fine Gothic pearl script in dark brown ink. Large initial (verso) marks the beginning of Genesis chapter 48. The text begins with Genesis 46 and continues through 48. This passage recounts Jacob's arrival in Egypt, Joseph's management of the famine, and Jacob's blessing of his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. The fine Gothic pearl script, precise ruling, and rich illumination are characteristic of Parisian Bible production during the height of manuscript refinement in the mid-13th century. These portable Bibles were widely produced for university and ecclesiastical use. Size: 124 x 84 mm (4.9 x 3.3 inches); written area: 96 x 64 mm (3.8 x 2.5 inches) Likely Paris: 1250. Slight browning to outer edge. Closely cropped top. Otherwise a clean, bright leaf.…

Condition: Very Good. First Edition. LEAF FROM A 13TH CENTURY BIBLE AS JOSEPH REVEALS SELF TO BROTHERS. Illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum from a Bible in Latin. Northern France, likely Paris, c. 1250. Written in two columns of forty-five lines in a fine Gothic script in dark brown ink. Two large initals in alternating blue and red. Delicate extensions in blue, pink, and gold, with red rubrications. The text begins with Genesis 44:17 and continues to 46:24. Excerpted section reads: et dixit fratribus suis ego sum Ioseph adhuc pater meus vivit nec poterant respondere fratres nimio timore perterriti ad quos ille clementer accedite inquit ad me et cum accessissent prope ego sum ait Ioseph frater vester quem vendidistis in Aegypto nolite pavere nec vobis durum esse videatur quod vendidistis me in his regionibus pro salute enim vestra misit me Deus ante vos in Aegyptum biennium est quod fames esse coepit in terra et adhuc quinque anni restant quibus nec arari poterit nec meti praemisitque me Deus ut reservemini super terram et escas ad vivendum habere possitis English translation: And he said to his brethren: I am Joseph. Is my father yet living? His brethren could not answer him, being struck with exceeding great fear. And he said mildly to them: Come nearer to me. And when they had come near, he said: I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you sold me into these countries; for God sent me before you into Egypt for your preservation. For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain, wherein there can be neither ploughing nor reaping. And God sent me before you, that you may be preserved upon the earth, and may have food to live. This passage recounts Joseph's reunion with his family, his role in protecting them during famine, and the beginning of the Israelites' growth in Egypt. The fine Gothic pearl script, precise ruling, and rich illumination are characteristic of Parisian Bible production during the height of manuscript refinement in the mid-13th century. These portable Bibles were widely produced for university and ecclesiastical use. Likely Paris: c. 1250. Closely cropped top. Minor stray spots of browning in margins. Size: 124 x 84 mm (4.9 x 3.3 inches); written Area: 96 x 64 mm (3.8 x 2.5 inches).…

First Edition. LEAF FROM A 13TH CENTURY BIBLE CONTAINING THE STORY OF MOSES FROM EXODUS. Illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum from a Bible in Latin. Northern France, likely Paris, c. 1250. Written in two columns of forty-five lines in a fine Gothic script in dark brown ink. Three large initials in alternating red and blue . The 2 line initial "E" (recto) marks the beginning of Exodus, Chapter two; the 2 line initial "M" (verso) is the beginning of chapter three; the 2 line initial "R" (verso) is the beginning of chapter four. Delicate extensions from initials in blue, pink, and gold, with red rubrications. The text begins with Exodus, chapter one and continues to contain all of chapters two and three and the beginning of chapter four. This passage includes the birth and rescue of Moses (chapter 2) and God appearing to Moses in the burning bush (chapter 3). The fine Gothic pearl script, precise ruling, and rich illumination are characteristic of Parisian Bible production during the height of manuscript refinement in the mid-13th century. These portable Bibles were widely produced for university and ecclesiastical use. Size: 124 x 84 mm (4.9 x 3.3 inches); written Area: 96 x 64 mm (3.8 x 2.5 inches). Likely Paris: c. 1250. Closely cropped top. Minor stray spots of browning in margins.…

vellum; framed. Condition: Very Good. first edition. ILLUMINATED ANTIPHONAL LEAF WITH LARGE MINIATURE FEATURING JOHN THE BAPTIST. Magnificent large leaf from an early 16th-century antiphonal. Recto features a large miniature measuring 3.4 x 2.5 inches of John the Baptist seated in a rocky landscape beside a winding river, alluding to the Jordan. He wears the traditional rough brown garment associated with John the Baptist, described in the Gospel of Matthew: "John wore clothing made of camel's hair" (Matthew 3:4). John holds a cross-staff in his left hand and raises his right finger in a gesture of proclamation. The text of the leaf opens with "Precursor Iohannes exultat," an antiphon for the Octave of Epiphany, associated with the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. Verso includes a large initial "T" in burnished gold on green background with acanthus leaves. The T opens the traditional chant "Te qui in spiritu et igne purificas humana." The text as visible on the leaf reads, with abbreviations expanded and normalized: Praecursor Joannes exsultat cum Jordane, baptizato Domino, facta est orbis terrarum exsultatio; facta est peccatorum nostrorum remissio, sanctificans aquas. Ipsi omnes clamemus: miserere nobis. John the Forerunner exulteth when, as the Lord was baptized in the Jordan, rejoicing was given to the world, and forgiveness of our sins. Let us all cry unto Him, "O Thou that sanctifiest the waters, have mercy on us" (English translation). Verso continues the chant and begins the next Office section with the red rubric "Ad tertiam. Ant." (At Terce. Antiphon). The decorated initial T opens the following antiphon: Te qui in spiritu et igne purificas humana. You who, by spirit and fire, purify human [defilements] (English translation). Leaf size: 13 x 19.25 inches; archivally framed to an overall size of 19.5 x 26 inches. Likely Italian, c. 1500-1550. Vellum. Mild toning and creasing to vellum. Minor rubbing to text and notation. Some minor chipping at edge of miniature. Overall, the miniature is bright and crisp. A beautiful leaf.…

191 x 140 mm. (7 1/2 x 5 1/2"). Single column, 16 lines, in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in gold, line-fillers with color foliate and geometric designs on burnished gold ground, two one-line initials and three two-line initials in blue or pink enclosing colored vines with foliage on gold ground, one four-line initial in blue with white decoration, enclosing a lattice pattern, each compartment with an orange or blue leaf on gold ground, BOTH SIDES WITH A DENSE RINCEAUX BORDER consisting of colorful acanthus, flowers, and many hairline vines terminating in gold leaves, ivy and seed pods, and with numerous gilt bezants. With just a couple tiny scuffs to paint and with slight rubbing to some of the small gold details, but in lovely condition. This is an opulently decorated leaf from a Book of Hours, offered in fine condition with glittering rinceaux borders, delicate initials, and luxurious gold rubrics. These sumptuous details and the high quality of the work indicate that this leaf was part of a costly manuscript commissioned by a wealthy patron. Other leaves from the same parent manuscript were sold at Bloomsbury on 6 December 2017, lots 63 and 64. One of these leaves showed St. Genèvieve leading the female saints in the Litany, pointing to Paris as the place of origin.…

335 x 224 mm. (13 1/4 x 8 7/8"). Double column, 29 lines, in an elegant proto-gothic book hand. Rubrics in red, several two-line initials in red. Recovered from a binding and so the vellum a bit soiled, creased, and wavy, recto with a lighter patch (where a title label was once situated), light stains and glue and paper residue on the verso, but overall the leaf remarkably clean, entirely legible, and surprisingly well preserved. Once serving as a cover for a later book, this leaf comes from a nearly contemporaneous copy of Peter Lombard's "Sentences," considered the most important theological book of the 12th century. Written between 1155 and 1158 and arranged topically, Lombard's "Sententiae" summarize past learning about Christian doctrine by quoting authorities in an attempt to resolve textual disagreement by dialectical analysis. As a source collection that continued to spark discussion, Lombard's great work enjoyed sustained success as a theological textbook until the 17th century and inspired numerous commentaries, including those of Aquinas and Luther. This leaf comes from Book IV, "On the Doctrine of Signs," which is primarily concerned with the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Sacred Orders, and Matrimony. The script is an upright and very legible proto-gothic book hand with a few distinctive letter forms and abbreviations that may help determine a more definitive point of origin (these include a "g" with a downward cross on its tail, and a conjoined "qe" for "que"). It is unusual (and very lucky) that this leaf survives completely intact, as Medieval manuscripts used in later bindings were often cut down in size to make smaller covers or used as waste paper for pastedowns or other binding elements.…

144 x 99 mm. (5 5/8 x 3 3/4"). Single column, recto with 14 lines in a gothic book hand. Attractively matted and framed. Rubrics in red, two two-line initials, one painted pink on blue ground with flowers, the other painted blue and inhabited by a rampant lion on pink and gold ground, recto with a panel border featuring long-stemmed flowers and owls on a pink ground, verso WITH A HALF-PAGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE DEPICTING PENTECOST, WITH A FULL BORDER featuring a plethora of different flowers, berries, greenery, songbirds, an owl, and a butterfly, all ON A RICHLY PAINTED GOLD GROUND. Trimmed close on one side (and just grazing a border on the opposite side), very minor chipping to faces, trivial signs of rubbing or wear, otherwise a fine leaf--colorful, bright, and very pleasing to the eye. This leaf contains the customary Pentecost miniature associated with the Hours of the Holy Spirit, but with several attributes that set it apart from other examples we have encountered. The miniature here depicts a densely crowded scene with the Virgin at the center surrounded by the apostles, each of whom wears a burnished gold halo. Packed tightly together, they gaze up at a white dove who emanates small red tongues of fire above their heads. According to biblical tradition, this visitation by the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove enabled Christ's disciples to start preaching, marking the beginning of the Christian Church. The artist favors an unusual pastel palette, choosing pale pink for the walls and eggshell blue for some of the floor tiles, as well as bright yellow, muted lilac, rose, and lime green for the robes of the apostles. Looking more closely at the figures, we see that each face is carefully individualized, each with its own features and expressions. Although most crane their necks to get a view of the miracle unfolding, one of the apostles looks directly out at the viewer, as if surprised by our presence. Moving outside the miniature, we note that the leaf features a particularly exuberant border with tangles of flowers, fruit, acanthus leaves, and several birds, including an owl in one corner. There is additional interest on the verso, with another bright border painted an intense pink and filled with more flowers and owls.…

vellum; framed. Condition: Very Good. first edition. ILLUMINATED ANTIPHONAL LEAF WITH EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL OF KING DAVID AS PSALMIST. The recto features a stunning, large (6 1/4 x 7 in.) initial "T" featuring a miniature of David the Psalmist, captured mid-song with instrument in hand as an angel unfurls the opening of the Psalm 110 (Dixit Dominus)-a classic image of divine inspiration rendered with rich pigments and a thickly burnished gold initial "T". The "T" frames and divides the image, with King David and the angel occupying the right half. The Psalm's beginning ("DIXIT DOMINUS") is displayed on the angel's banner, emphasizing the divine inspiration for the Psalm. David is pictured with elegant flowing blue robes and, while he's playing a stringed instrument, there is another harp lying beneath his feet. The left side of the "T" (for the opening "Tecum principium") depicts a finely painted landscape, with a winding road, a bridge, and a town in the distance. The verso continues Psalm 110, but then transitions - with a large red-and-organge painted "R" into a section of Psalm 111 (Redemptionem misit Dominus populo suo.). Leaf size: 13x19.25 inches; archival framed to an overall size of 19x26 in.) Likely Italian, c.1500-1550. Vellum. Some mild toning and creasing to vellum. Some lines of cracking to color on miniature from the creasing. Small closed tear at top margin. Overall, the color (particularly the gilt) is exceptionally bright. A magnificent leaf.…

286 x 199 mm. (11 1/4 x 7 3/4"). Double column, containing a mixture of staves and text (approximately 21 lines) in an excellent formal gothic book hand. Attractively matted. Rubrics in red, chant text containing black penwork initials with red and yellow geometric elaboration, BEAUTIFULLY ILLUMINATED with five two-line initials painted blue or pink with white tracery on a ground in the contrasting color, two of the initials filled with grotesques and swirling vines (and two with the filler design traced out but never completed) each initial with blue and pink extensions terminating in orange leaves or spiky shapes; the verso featuring AN IMPRESSIVE SIX-LINE "N" (58 x 50 mm.) in the same style, filled with an intricate knotwork design and orange leaves, with long extensions, including a horizontal extension across the upper margin. Margins with light offsetting of the designs from the facing leaf; remnants of mounting tape on recto corners and bottom edge; verso apparently with a barely visible Medieval "14" in lower margin. An area measuring 5 mm. at edges just faintly yellowed (from mat burn?), but IN FINE CONDITION, the vellum otherwise quite bright, the paint rich, and the gold brightly glittering. This sumptuously decorated leaf--which is beautifully preserved and contains a particularly large and handsome initial--comes from the last volume of a three-volume Missal presented to Beauvais Cathedral by Canon Robert de Hangest (d. 1356). The Missal remained at the cathedral at least through the 17th century, when it is noted in an inventory, but was removed from the church at some point, likely in the aftermath of the French Revolution. The parent volume eventually entered the collection of Henri-Auguste Brölemann (1775-1854) of Lyon, who passed it to his grand-daughter Etienne Mallet, who then sold it at Sotheby's in 1926. It was then acquired for the collection of William Hearst, where it remained for the next 25 years. In 1941 it was again sold at auction, and subsequently dismembered. Though long thought to have been the work of famed biblioclast Otto Ege, recent scholarship suggests that it was actually Phillip Duschnes who was responsible for breaking up the book, keeping some leaves for himself and selling others on to his colleague Ege for inclusion in his portfolios of "Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts." The Beauvais Missal has been a subject of interest for many notable scholars (chief among them being Christopher de Hamel--see: "Otto Ege and the Beauvais Missal" in "Gilding the Lilly: A Hundred Medieval and Illuminated Manuscripts in the Lilly Library"), and it is currently the focus of a major effort to "reconstruct" the manuscript digitally--a project spearheaded by Lisa Fagin Davis. Other leaves from the parent volume are in the collections of the Morgan Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Houghton Library at Harvard, among many others. Although there is some dispute among art historians, the illumination has been tentatively attributed to the artist of the Hours of Yolande of Soissons, produced in Amiens ca. 1280 and now held by the Morgan Library (MS M.729). It is worth noting that the town of Hangest, home to the original owner, is only 10 miles from Amiens, and is a likely place of origin for the Missal. The present leaf contains a text for a major feast day, and thus contains a large and extravagantly decorated initial for its opening, "'Nunc scio vere." It is not too much to say that the decoration here is masterful, but, curiously--and of special interest to us from a modern perspective--the illuminators seem to have forgotten to put the finishing touches on the two smaller initials above, which still contain sketches of the preliminary design.…

164 x 123 mm. (6 1/2 x 4 7/8"). Single column, 17 lines, in a gothic hand. Capitals touched with red, rubrics in red, one-line initials in red or blue, one two-line initial in blue, A VERY LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL (approximately 60 mm. square) DEPICTING PENTECOST, the initial painted blue with white tracery on a burnished gold ground, surrounded by A FULL BORDER decorated with colorful acanthus, large flowers, strawberries, insects (including a grasshopper, fly, moth, and mosquito(?)), all on a liquid gold ground. See: Marrow, et al., "The Golden Age of Dutch Manuscript Illumination," nos. 79-81. âMargins just faintly soiled, gold very slightly rubbed, but IN FINE CONDITION, the initial and border beautifully preserved. This is an extraordinarily handsome leaf, featuring an oversized historiated initial depicting Pentecost, attributed to the circle of the Master of the London Jason. Our artist has made remarkable use of space, fitting 13 clearly defined people within an initial opening measuring 45 x 32 mm. The Virgin sits enthroned directly in the center, encircled by the Apostles dressed in blue, violet, green, and orange robes. Our artist cleverly adds a notch at the top of initial--like a cupola inside a chapel--in order to fit an image of a dove inside the scene. The figures show an impressive degree of individualization and emotional response as they witness the descent of the Holy Spirit; a few gesture in surprise, two lower their gaze, and some look up in awe. The work is stylistically like that of the Master of the London Jason, named for his work on the "Historie van Jason" manuscript now housed at the British Library. As Marrow et al. note, the Master's style is characterized by "somewhat short, heavy figures [that] are well formed and have unusual, slightly broad yet expressive faces with deep sunken eyes." Our leaf's enclosing border is of very considerable interest, featuring as it does naturalistic flowers, strawberry plants, insects, and a small, brightly colored bird, all painted in colors that perfectly complement the main scene. A very fine production all around, this distinctive, energetic leaf would make a notable addition to any collection.…