- 15
Collection of fragments from medieval manuscripts [twelfth to fifteenth centuries]
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
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Description
- Vellum
31 pieces, including: (a) two fragments of a bifolium from a Breviary, 300mm. by 80mm. and 310mm. by 37mm., the largest with 3 lines of archaic-looking decorative capitals in terracotta red, Germany, twelfth century; (b) fragment of a leaf of chaps.75-6 of a theological text, 295mm. by 55mm., 35 lines in fine early gothic bookhand, France or England, mid twelfth century; (c) fragment of a bifolium from a Psalter, 260mm. by 110mm., 13 lines in a good early gothic bookhand, red and green initials and line-fillers, and 5-line initial 'P' in green with red penwork infill, England, late twelfth century; (d) fragment of a leaf from a commentary on Psalm 77, 115mm. by 95mm., with remains of 2 columns and 19 lines in a fine early gothic bookhand, with penwork scrolls for paragraph marks, France or England, late twelfth century; (e) full bifolium from a liturgical volume, 280mm. by 210mm., with a large white-vine initial with complex interlacing infill on green, red and blue grounds (75mm. by 64mm.), Germany, thirteenth century; (f) fragment of liturgical volume with office for St.Stephen, 139mm. by 82mm., 13 lines and 4 red initials, probably France, late thirteenth century; (g) single leaf from a Lectionary containing part of Paulinus of Milan's Life of St.Ambrose (Migne PL.14, col.35), 355mm. by 255mm., double column, 30 lines, 3 large initials in blue or red with penwork to contrast, identified by Robert Weaver in 1975 (with copy of his notes), England, c.1300; (h) two cuttings from an illuminated Breviary, feast of St. Bertin (5 September), 93mm. by 35mm. and 108mm. by 35mm., with 5 lines in late gothic script, and a large blue initial heightened with white penwork and enclosing coloured acanthus leaves, all on gold ground, wanting at top and bottom, England, fifteenth century; (i) two fragments from a vernacular French poem citing the king and the emperor, 212mm. by 48mm. and 212mm. by 40mm., with remains of 38 lines and 4 initials, France, late thirteenth century; and 19 other fragments, including half a fourteenth-century leaf with chaps.45-7 of a treatise on marriage, and 5 English fragments (mostly from liturgical books); all from bindings and hence somewhat defective
Provenance
A fine collection of binding fragments from the library of Ampleforth Abbey.