Leaf from a miniature Bible, manuscript in Latin on vellum, [France, 13th century]

Property from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Leaf from a miniature Bible

Manuscript in Latin on vellum. [France (Paris?), 13th century, first half (c.1220–40)]

Single leaf, c.195×130mm; written above top line in two columns of 57 lines (c.130×80mm), in a very small gothic bookhand, capitals stroked in red; chapters begin with initials alternately red or blue, but do not start on a new line, with their number in red ink in the adjacent margin, with wide margins preserving guide-letters and numbers for the initials and chapter numbers; foliated in late medieval Arabic numerals ‘.76.’ on the recto and ‘[l]xxvi.’ in Roman numerals on the verso.

The text is Judges 12:1-15:18, which largely concerns the life of Samson.

LITERATURE:

Scott Gwara, Otto Ege’s Manuscripts (Cayce, SC, 2013), Handlist no. 60, citing leaves at six American institutions.

PROVENANCE:

From the same manuscript as lot 7

Otto Ege/Philip Duschnes

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Gallery purchase in 1940 (1940:355.3)