Illuminated initial ‘P’ on a leaf from an Antiphonary, in Latin [Italy (Florence), c.1470-80]

single leaf, 540x385mm, vellum, with a large initial 'P' and border for the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary (2 Feb.), six lines of text and music on four-line red staves, 400x255mm, rastrum 35mm, early modern foliation ‘102’, the pigments and gold in very fine condition, but the ink of the music and text corroded in a few places, and the vellum somewhat bobbled due to having previously been stuck to its mount, framed, with a label of ‘Cowlin’s, Stamford, Connecticut’

A large and decorative leaf, from the same owner as lot 23, and thus perhaps from the collection of John Frederick Lewis (1860-1932) of Philadelphia.