Christ on a Donkey and a Skull on two leaves from an illuminated manuscript Antiphoner in Latin on vellum

Estimate

2,000 - 3,000 GBP

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Description

2 leaves, both 261mm. by 187mm., and with six 4-line staves in red with corresponding text and musical notation in black ink, (a) large initial 'Q' (opening "Quum appropinquaret dominus hierosolymam …": the antiphon for the Palm Sunday procession) in a foliate design, enclosing Christ seated on a donkey, with a 17mm. wide border around the inner and upper margins enclosing floral sprays in grey emerging from a classical plinth with a scene of a horse and a rider on it, on a blue ground, containing a cartouche in the vertical border with an old bearded man in long robes picked out in gold paint within, and cartouche in upper border with seated figure with a spear picked out in gold paint, (b) large initial 'C'’ (opening "Credo quod redemptor …": a responsory for the Office of the Dead) in a foliate design, enclosing a skull on a book, again a 17mm. wide border around the inner and upper margins enclosing similar floral sprays in gold on a very dark brown ground, with cartouches enclosing a robed monk holding a censer and a kneeling robed figure, both picked out in grey and white paint, some minor loss of letters from initial leaf, and some damage to the larger cartouche on the second leaf, else on good quality vellum and in excellent condition, in a clear plastic wallet

Catalogue Note

By an artist working under the influence of Benedetto Bordone (1460-1531). Benedetto was one of the last great miniaturists of the Italian renaissance, and illuminated the printed copy of Dio Chysostomus, De Regno (Cambridge University Library, SSS 15.5; Venice, 1471) which was recently in the 'Cambridge Illuminations' exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. In particular, the present leaves share their style of border decoration with the work of Benedetto; see for comparison the manuscript sold in these rooms 18 May 1981, lot 19.