Two leaves with large initials from illuminated manuscripts on vellum [France, twelfth and thirteenth century]

2 leaves: (a) leaf from a vast Lectionary, with a reading from Gregory the Great’s Homily V in Evangelia, 375mm. by 295mm., with a very large initial ‘A’ (opening “Audistis fratres karissimi …”), 125mm. by 90mm., in penwork interlace terminating in highly stylised acanthus-flowers and geometric designs, all on soft red, green and blue wash grounds with remnants of crystalline gold, one large initial ‘I’ formed of two simple red bars and 3 other initials in alternate red or blue, double column, 3 lines of ornamental capitals in alternate red and blue,  31 lines in a grand and rounded early gothic bookhand with tall swooping capitals and no biting curves, France, mid-twelfth century; (b) leaf from a Gradual, 142mm. by 130mm., with a large initial ‘M’ (opening “Misericordia domini plena est …”, the introit for the second Sunday after Easter) in red with white scalloping penwork, enclosing two large blue birds with orange wings, holding foliage in their beaks, on blue grounds with white dots and angular foliage extending into the margin, one simple red initial on back, 5 lines of text with music on a 4-line red stave, trimmed at top and bottom, gold around foliage in margin and at head of text probably applied later, France, second half of the thirteenth century; both recovered from bindings and with folds, wear and stains

The delicate foliage and geometric corbels of the initial on item (a) point towards Cistercian work of the twelfth century (cf. Getty, MS. Ludwig I 4, a New Testament probably from Pontigny, c.1170, and XIV 2; 83.MQ.163, a Gratian’s Decretum, from Paris or Sens, c.1170: von Euw and Plotzek, Die Handschriften der Sammlung Ludwig, 1979, I:58-62, and IV:41-48, and Kren, French Illuminated Manuscripts in the J. Paul Getty Museum, 2007, pp.7-9).