A man wrapping a child within his cloak, large historiated initial on a leaf from an illuminated Psalter, with another leaf from an illuminated Breviary [thirteenth and fifteenth century]

two leaves: (a) leaf from a Psalter, 178mm. by 135mm., with a large historiated initial ‘D’, 32mm. by 42mm. (opening “Deus ultionem dominus …”, Psalm 93.1) in red heightened with white chevrons and circles, enclosing a clean-shaven man wrapping his cloak and arm around a child-like figure whilst holding up his finger in instruction, all on thick burnished gold ground, a green-necked winged beast biting the initial at its apex, 20 lines in black ink, 17 one-line initials in blue or gold with penwork to contrast, 14 ornate line fillers in blue, red and gold (with two fish and two dragons), foliation “141” in pencil in upper corner of recto, Rhineland or Flanders, or perhaps England, second half of the thirteenth century; (b) leaf from a Breviary, 185mm. by 270mm., large initial ‘P’ in soft pink heightened with white strapwork, enclosing fleshy green foliage and all on burnished gold ground, terminating in acanthus-leaf sprays, bezants and a single trefoil in black and white, 2 other similar initials in striking black and white on gold grounds with gold and silver acanthus leaves in border, other initials in red and blue with contrasting penwork, double column, 41 lines in black ink, Spain, late fifteenth century; (a) with slight paint flaking from faces of figures and edges somewhat trimmed, and (b) with one initial cut away from verso, replacement area from same volume with gold initial now pasted in place, else excellent condition, both in card mounts

Item (a) is from a well-known and richly illuminated Psalter, which apparently included the Hours of the Virgin and the Office of the Dead. It was broken up, perhaps in France, in the 1960s. Leaves re-appeared in our rooms, 17 December 1991, lot 4 (with 4 leaves apparently showing a scene from the life of Saint Thomas Becket); 7 December 1992, lot 6; 5 December 2006, lot 52; and most recently 4 December  2007, lot 19. Three leaves are described by Plotzek, Andachtsbücher des Mittelalters, 1987, p.84, no.8, relating them to Rhenish work of c.1260. All have a number of penwork drollery creatures, but few have any historiated initials, and to find one with burnished gold is rare. The present initial most probably portrays God the Father and Christ wrapped within a cloak of majesty, echoing Psalm 93.1: “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty”.