Missal, for Dominican Use, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [Italy, thirteenth century]

31 leaves, a fragment from a larger codex once of approximately 300 leaves, 305mm. by 210mm., now bound as single leaves mounted on guards, double column, 26 lines in black ink in a single fine late gothic script, rubrics in red, 2-line initials in red or blue with contrasting penwork, one large initial in red and blue with penwork infill of scrolling foliage with tiny blue circles at their heads (fol.29v), some scuffs and slight wear, else good and presentable condition, modern limp red vellum binding

provenance

1. The manuscript is discussed at length by J. Pope "Dating an Early Dominican Missal", Florilegium 24, 2004, pp.66-73, assigning its liturgy to between 1256 and 1265 and therefore as one of the half-dozen earliest witnesses to the text of the Dominican Missal. There is a late medieval inscription on fol.16r, "Ego dom. de marsica feci  ...", which may indicate an origin in the vicinity of Marsica, south-east of Naples. If so, Mr Pope's article concluded, it could have been used there by St. Thomas Aquinas.

2. Otto F. Ege (1888-1951), who dispersed leaves in his portfolios of paleographical specimens; his sale in our rooms, 26 November, 1985, lot 65.

3. Bergendal MS.113; bought by Joseph Pope: Bergendal catalogue no.113.

text

The manuscript comprises the Calendar leaves for January-February and July-August, and leaves from the main text of the Temporal beginning with the second Sunday in Advent and ending with the second Sunday after Easter. The Sanctoral here runs from the feast of St. Urban to that of St. Quentin and All Saints.