A seated king with sword, large historiated initial on a single leaf from a Psalter, illuminated manuscript, in Latin, on vellum

single leaf, 178mm. by 135mm., 20 lines in black ink in a good Gothic hand, fifteen 1-line initials in blue or liquid gold with blue or red penwork to contrast, numerous highly decorative line-fillers to complement in a wide variety of styles, six drollery creatures in simple blue and red penwork (including two winged dragons, a crow-like bird, a winged two-legged creature with a human head, a dog and a mermaid, one 4-line historiated initial 'D' (opening "Dixit iniustus ut delinquat in semet ..." Psalm 35) in various shades of pink touched with white penwork, enclosing a seated king with a coronet, pointing to a sword he holds in his right hand, before a burnished gold background, all on blue ground touched with white penwork, within burnished gold frame, ascender of 'd' terminating in scroll-work and a human head, in outstanding condition, in card mount

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This leaf is from a well-known and richly illustrated liturgical Psalter, which apparently included the Hours of the Virgin and the Office of the Dead. It was broken up, perhaps in France, in the 1960s, and leaves first appeared in England in the Folio Fine Art Catalogue 43 (February 1967); Maggs Bulletin 5 (April 1967), and Alan Thomas Catalogues 19, nos. 17a-e and 21, lots 22 and 22a; further leaves have appeared in The Rendells Catalogue 146, lots 85-6; our rooms, 17 December 1991, lot 4 (four leaves appearing to show a scene in the life of St. Thomas Becket), 7 December 1992, lot 6 and most recently 5 December 2006, as part of lot 52. Three leaves are described in detail in J. M. Plotzek, Andachtsbücher des Mittelalters, Schnütgen Museum, Cologne, 1987, p. 84, no. 8, with colour reproduction, relating them to Rhenish work of c. 1260. The exquisite penwork drollery-creature line-fillers have their closest parallels on fols. 58v-59 of the Salvin Hours (British Library, Addit. 48,985) and are similar to those in an English Psalter in Krivoklát Castle in the Czech Republic and the Windmill Psalter in the Morgan Library (N. Morgan, Early Gothic MSS, II, 1250-1285, 1988, p. 150).

All of the leaves which have come to light have a number of penwork drollery-creatures, but few have any historiated initials (one can be found reproduced in our catalogue 7 December 1992, lot 6), and to find one with burnished gold is rare. The present initial most probably portrays David, who echoes the content of Psalm 35, in which David beseeches the Lord to fight for him against his enemies: "Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me".

From the collection of the late Dr F. Jossi.