- 25
King David in prayer, in a large initial on a leaf from an illuminated antiphoner, on vellum [Germany (probably Cologne or vicinity), mid fifteenth century]
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Vellum
a single leaf, 500mm. by 348mm., with a large initial 'A' (opening "Ad te leuaui ...", the introit for the first Sunday in Advent), in blue with soft white penwork picking out angels holding scrolls or in prayer standing on ornamental columns, all within dazzlingly burnished gold grounds with scrolling pouncework, enclosing David kneeling before a gothic town as God appears to him, full borders of liquid gold vines in tightly scrolling circles and sprigs of thorn bushes containing elaborate flowers and a lion holding a coat-of-arms: sable with a cross argent and gules, 9 lines of text in a fine angular late gothic bookhand, with music on a 4-line red stave, initials in red or blue, slight scuffing to borders, but with little significant loss, overall excellent condition, on card mount
Catalogue Note
This is a striking leaf from a beautiful manuscript. It is perhaps the frontispiece to the volume, and the quality of the camaïeu bleu in the body of the initial and the scrolling pouncework in the gold grounds, points to the workshops of Cologne.