Lot 16

Large collection of leaves and fragments from medieval manuscripts, in Latin and Italian, mostly on vellum (with a single paper fragment) [fourteenth to sixteenth century]

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vellum and Paper

80 leaves and fragments (including 7 bifolia), including: (a) large leaf from an Antiphonary, 340mm. by 235mm., with a large blue initial ‘D’ (opening "Domina labia mea aperies …") with scrolling red penwork extensions and infill ending in leaves and flowerheads, 7 lines of text with music on a 4-line red stave, 4 small spiky initials, Germany, late thirteenth or fourteenth century; (b) top half of a leaf from a Passional, 170mm. by 175mm., with readings for lives of SS. Gordianus and Epimachius, one 3-line red initial with red and blue penwork infill, double column, capitals touched in red, 21 lines, Germany, late thirteenth or fourteenth century; (c) 2 bifolia from a Missal, each leaf 230mm. by 155mm., red initials and rubrics, 32 lines in light brown ink, damaged at head of each leaf, Germany, fourteenth century; (d) leaf from Gregory the Great, Homiliae XL in evangelia (here Hom. 9), 230mm. by 175mm., one large red initial and 4 lines of ornamental capitals (apparently following an earlier exemplar), capitals stroked in red, double column, 37 lines, probably Germany and fourteenth century; (e) 2 bifolia from a Passional (2 leaves trimmed), the remaining 2 complete leaves: 220mm. by 165mm., small red initials, single column, 40 lines, capitals touched in red, rubrics in red, readings for lives of SS. Helena, Cyprian, Maurice, Cosmas and Damian, Michael the Archangel, Remigius, Gereon, Pope Calixtus and Gallen, perhaps Cologne, fourteenth century; (f) leaf from a Lectionary, 295mm. by 190mm., with a smiling bearded man picked out in an initial at the head of the recto, double column, 34 lines, Germany, first half of the fifteenth century; with a large quantity of leaves and fragments (8 strips of small pieces), mostly from liturgical manuscripts; all recovered from bindings and with stains, holes and trimmed or torn at edges in places