A group of 14 illuminated manuscript leaves and cuttings, [France, Spain, Flanders, 13th to 17th century]

A group of 14 illuminated manuscript leaves and cuttings

in Latin on vellum (two printed, one Ethiopic). [France, Flanders, Spain, 13th to 17th century]

Comprising:

(1) THE ANNUNCIATION, miniature on a cutting from an Antiphonary. [Spain, late 15th or 16th century], c.140×130mm, the cropped text and music on the reverse on five-line red staves, comprising part of an antiphon for the first Sunday in Advent, ‘[In illa d]ie stillabunt’, so this is doubtless from the first leaf of the parent volume, the miniature in thick pigents and washes, with the angel and dove descending from the right towards the praying Virgin, surrounded by a penwork border

(2) Two consecutive bifolia from an Book of Hours. [France, 15th century, second half], 4 leaves, each c.180×135mm, foliated 120–123, 16 lines of angular gothic textura, ILLUMINATED throughout with 1-, 2-, and 3-line initials, line-fillers, and a panel border on each recto, the text comprising part of the Office of the Dead.

(3) Calendar leaf in French from a Book of Hours. [France, 15th century, second half], c.162×120mm, rule for 16 lines, TEXT IN BURNISHED GOLD, DEEP BLUE, AND RED, written in fine angular textura, each side with a PANEL BORDER of stylised and semi-naturalistic foliage, fruit, and flowers

(4) A FEMALE PATRON KNEELING BEFORE THE VIRGIN AND CHILD in a large miniature on a leaf from a Book of Hours. [Southern(?) France, 15th century, second half], c.162×117, foliated ‘118’, ruled for 15 lines, written in gothic script, the text comprising the end of a prayer and the start of the ‘Obsecro te’, the miniature depicting a woman in a red dress kneeling before the Virgin and Child enthroned in a large wooden canopied stall, the unusual style of the figures is similar to that of Philadelphia, Museum of Art, Collins Collection 1945.65.8 (on which see Leaves of Gold, ed. J. Tanis, exh. cat., 2001, no. 38), the FULL BORDER INCORPORATING MEN HOLDING SCROLLS; Provenance: Belonged in 1529 to Pierre Boutoere of Sens, with his INTERESTING OWNERSHIP INSCRIPTION: ‘Ces presentes heures sont a moy [followed by an effaced line, then continuing:] pierre boutoere marchant hostelier demourant a sens a lostel du cigne devant le palais, fait le xxvi yesme jour de novembre lan mil cinq cens vingt neuf, ainsy signe [signed:] poutoere’

(5) Leaf from a Book of Hours. [France, 15th century, second half], c.190×145mm, 16 lines written in fine gothic textura, the text comprising Psalm 101:4–16, perhaps from the Penitential Psalms, illuminated with 1-line initials, line-fillers, and a PANEL BORDER on each side

(6) Leaf from a Book of Hours. [France, 15th century, second half], c.175×115mm, 18 lines written in gothic textura, the text comprising Psalms 95:5–96:1, probably part of Matins in the Hours of the Virgin, illuminated with 1-line initials, line-fillers, and THREE-SIDED BORDER on each side

(7) A Man Saved From Drowning in a historiated initial. [19th-century French(?) initial on a 14th-century Italian fragment], c.135×80mm, the text comprising part of the Code of Justinian, Book IX, the historiated initial probably based on the composition of a Psalm 68 initial in a Psalter (Salvum me fac): a man in water grasps the initial to avoid drowning; overall somewhat worn, dirty, and water-damaged

(8) Three small miniatures cut from a printed Parisian book of hours on vellum. [Paris: probably Hardouin, early 16th century], each approx. 78-68mm, depicting the Annunciation, the Annunciation to the shepherds and the Flight into Egypt, traces of glue on versos

(9) SAINT APOLLONIA in a miniature on a leaf from a Book of Hours. [Flanders, 15th century, second half], c.135×97, foliated ‘17’, written in a fine gothic bâtarde script, 17 lines, the text comprising the end of a prayer to St Barbara, and the beginning of one to St Apollonia, with a MINIATURE and PANEL BORDER, the saint shown in a landscape holding a palm of martyrdom and a large pair of pliers, from the suffrages in a Book of Hours

(10) Leaf from a printed book of hours on vellum with a full-page metalcut of the Annunciation. [Paris: Simon Vostre, c. 1506], 168x105mm, text on verso with metalcut border, small initials in gold on red or blue grounds

(11) Illuminated Border, an L-shaped corner cutting from a choirbook. [Spain, late 15th century], c.245×130, with vestiges of ruling for music on five-line red staves, the border incorporating a PUTTO, flowers, fruit, foliage, etc.

(12) THE VIRGIN AND CHILD in a large miniature on a leaf from a Book of Hours. [France, 15th century, c.1480], c.170×120mm, 21 lines in bâtarde script, the text comprising the start of the prayer ‘Obsecro te’, the LARGE MINIATURE depicting the Virgin in an interior next to a lattice-glazed window, the Child on her lap, SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER of flowers, fruit, etc. of a gold ground

(13) THE ANNUNCIATION, a full-page miniature on a leaf from a book in Ge`ez. [Ethiopia, 19th?-century], c.240×180, the reverse with 2 columns of 24 lines in black and red, the miniature depicting Gabriel appearing to the seated or kneeling Virgin, the Dove above

(14) Historiated Border on a leaf from a Book of Hours. [France, 15th century, second half], c.180×125mm, foliated ‘17’, 18 lines in gothic textura, the text comprising John 18:38–19:9, probably from the Passion narrative often found in Books of Hours, the recto ILLUMINATED WITH A HISTORIATED panel border depicts two naked youths in a landscape, one apparently urinating on the arm of the other (smudged), the verso with a border of foliage etc.