- 11
Collection of leaves from musical or liturgical manuscripts, in Latin, decorated manuscripts on vellum [twelfth to fifteenth century]
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Vellum
10 leaves (including 4 bifolia) and 2 cuttings, comprising: (a) large complete leaf from Bede, Homily on the birth of St. Matthew (Hom. 2:XXII, chs. 4-7), 435mm. by 280mm., double column, 25 lines of a large and monumental early gothic bookhand in black ink, chapter numbers in red (but differing from modern edition), capitals stroked in red, two large initials (an ‘I’ over three-quarters of the page in height in variegated red and green with stylised acanthus leaf penwork; and a ‘C’ in green enclosing red penwork foliate sprays harking back to white vine models), numerous textual variances and errors, Germany (perhaps Rhineland), thirteenth century; (b) cutting from a Gradual (vertical section from centre of leaf, wanting text at each side), 250mm. by 85mm., 8 lines of text in an early gothic bookhand with neumes arranged around a red clef-line, small red initials and red line fillers, with a large initial ‘D’ in red and blue enclosing scrolling red penwork, recovered from a book spine, Germany, thirteenth century; (c) leaf from a Gradual with text accompanied by simple neumes, 295mm. by 205mm., double column, 32 lines of two sizes of gothic bookhand in brown ink with pronounced fishtailing to ascenders, capitals stroked in red or with red or brown dots, initials and rubrics in red, one large initial ‘D’ within finely scalloping penwork, enclosing a crude and probably later penwork head of a bearded man, Germany, fourteenth century; (d) fragment of a leaf from a Lectionary (text block with borders trimmed away), 255mm. by 160mm., double column, 22 lines in an angular gothic bookhand, rubrics in red, small initials in red or blue, large initials in same with contrasting penwork, Germany, c.1400; (e) 4 bifolia from 2 Lectionaries, each leaf approximately 370mm. by 25mm., red and blue initials, 2 leaves with outermost column torn or cut away, 1 leaf with border trimmed away; all recovered from bindings with stains, splits, losses and occasional later scribbles