Lot 101

Pontifical, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [northern France (probably Rouen), c.1500]

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vellum

113 leaves, 280mm. by 200mm., apparently complete, foliated in modern pencil including endleaves (but followed here), single column, 24 lines in brown ink in a fine lettre bâtarde, capitals touched in yellow, rubrics in red or blue, one- and 2-line initials in blue with faded red tracery or in liquid gold on blue and terracotta-red grounds, 3-line initials in blue heightened with white scrolls on terracotta grounds with liquid gold penwork, line-fillers in same throughout, six three-quarter or half-page miniatures with full border decoration of acanthus-leaves, other foliage and fruit (fols.31r, 42v, 52r, 61r, 67v and 73v), both with coats-of-arms in bas-de-page, two full-page miniatures within Renaissance architectural frames (fols.4v, 14v), the first with same arms incorporated into miniature, rubbing to face of Virgin in miniature on fol.14v, oxidisation of metals in arms causing some discolouration to a number of other leaves, else in remarkably fresh condition, modern gilt-tooled green leather over early wooden boards, retaining panels of earlier covering of green silk inside each board,, with contemporary gilt metal cornerpieces and clasps in the form of interweaving ropes, one cornerpiece loose

Provenance

provenance

1. The arms were identified in the Christie's catalogue of 1981 as those of the family of Du Bois de Dourduff de Bretagne.

2. Christie's, 9 December 1981, lot 226.

3. Bergendal MS.28; bought by Joseph Pope from Charles W. Traylen (cat.93, 1982): Bergendal catalogue no.28; Stoneman, 'Guide', p.178; D.E. Bootan, Manuscripts, Market and the Transition to Print, 2010, p.266.

Catalogue Note

text

Pontificals are among the grandest and most opulent of liturgical manuscripts. The present manuscript includes prayers to be said on entering a church (fol.5r), and others to St. Bonaventura and to Christ. These are followed by a rosary (fol.15v), formed of prayers to be interspersed between the Ave Marias and Pater Nosters, and prayers in honour of the last words of Christ on the Cross (fol.22v), and invocations to SS. George, Anselm, Anne, Barbara, the Virgin, John, and in honour of the Six Days of Creation. Prayers to the Virgin (fol.31r) preface the little Office of the Virgin (fol.46r) and other prayers in honour of the Trinity and Holy Cross. There then follows an extract from the Gospel of John on the Passion of Christ (fol.67v), with prayers on the Sacrament, and others to prepare for the study of the scriptures (fol.73v) and Mass (fol.84r), and to give thanks after Mass. From folio 102r onwards the prayers include blessings for the maniple, stole, chausible, paten and chalice.

illumination

The miniatures are excellent examples of the impact of the French Renaissance on the artists of Rouen. The long oval heads, with their whitish complexions and flat mouths parallel to the bottom of their noses echo the work of the Parisian miniaturist and book-producer, Jean Pichore (active c.1501–20), who worked in a profoundly Rouen style, and the artist may well have been an associate of his.

They comprise: (1) fol.4v, full-page, Christ holding a book and a Cross, a kneeling bishop before him with his book open on a prie-dieu, dressed in golden robes on which hairstrokes pick out a mirror of the same scene, his arms on the side of the prie-dieu; (2) fol.14v, full-page, the Virgin beneath God the Father, surrounded by her various titles in red on gold surmounting their attributes; (3) fol.31r, large miniature, 110mm. by 130mm., the Pietà at the foot of the Cross with St. John, the three nails and crown of thorns, a bishop kneeling at his prie-dieu to the right; (4) fol.42v, large miniature, 93mm. by 130mm., SS. Joachim and Anne embracing at the golden gate before Jerusalem; (5) fol.52r, large miniature, 150mm. by 130mm., the Trinity being adored by a multitude of angels; (6) fol.61r, large miniature, 115mm. by 130mm., the Crucifixion; (7) fol.67v, large miniature, 140mm. by 130mm., the Garden of Gethsemane; (8) fol.73v, large miniature, 118mm. by 130mm., a large golden chalice, surmounted by the Host (with the Crucifixion picked out in grey hair-strokes) between two angels kneeling in adoration.