Lot 12
  • 12

All Saints, an initial on a leaf from an illuminated missal, manuscript on vellum [Italy (probably Siena), c.1460-70]

Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
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Description

  • Vellum
single leaf, 346mm. by 245mm., with historiated initial 'O' (opening 'Omnipotens sempiterne deus ...' for the feast of All Saints), 45mm. by 50mm., in blue heightened with white penwork and with fleshy acanthus-leaves, enclosing numerous male and female saints, one holding a book, on burnished gold ground, extensions of acanthus leaves and gold bezants up and down central border to full height of page with five crane-like birds in brilliant shades of blue, green and burgundy, with bezants sprouting from their bodies as they bite others and sprigs of foliage (the two facing each other in the bas-de-page with large gold bells on each leg, perhaps recalling domesticated pet birds known to the artist), and four butterflies, 29 lines of text in 2 columns, initials in red or blue with penwork to contrast, slight cockling to vellum, some small scuffing to areas of gold (one affecting upper right-hand portion of main initial), rubbing to one butterfly, outermost lower corner gnawed away, else excellent condition, in card mount

Provenance

Provenance: from a Missal made for a bishop, with his arms, per pale azure and or, an eagle displayed with two heads dimidiated of the same, augmented in fess with an escutcheon gules and a cross gemelle or.  The manuscript was sold by the Andulusia Foundation, Milledgeville, Georgia, at Christie's, New York, 16 May 1986, lot 213; afterwards Ferrini, cat. 1 (1987), no.45, and then broken up.  The present leaf was fol.189.

Catalogue Note

The manuscript is attributed to the great Sienese artist and panel painter, Sano di Pietro (1405-1481) and his workshop. The finely modelled faces and crane-like birds with their riot of colour and gold are redolent of his work, and the closest parallels are to a Gradual illuminated by him for the Piccolomini family (Siena, Piccolomini Library, cod.27.11; dating to 1463-72), and this may have been executed around the same time.