L13240

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Lot 24
  • 24

The Annunciation to the shepherds, and the Three Magi, two historiated initials from an illuminated manuscript choirbook, on vellum [Northern Italy (Bologna or Venice), second quarter of the fifteenth century]

Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
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Description

  • Vellum
two cuttings: (a) the Annunciation to the shepherds within a historiated initial (probably ‘Q’), 55mm. by 49mm.; (b) the Magi gazing upwards at the star within a similar initial (evidently ‘O’), 52mm. by 46mm.; both initials in pink  with white penwork on brilliantly burnished gold grounds, versos with remains of text and 4-line red staves, partly laid down on paper, card mount

Provenance

Sold in our rooms, 22 June 1999, lot 44, to the present owner.

Catalogue Note

These are from the same series of cuttings as four others offered by Charles Ede, The Art of the Scribe, May 1972, no.9. All are most probably from the liturgy around Christmas. They are related to illumination from Bologna and Venice, and in particular the white-haired Magi closely resembles King David on the opening pages of two Missals (Vatican, Arch.Cap.S.Pietro B.66, made for Cardinal Orsini, d.1439; and Venice, Bibl.Marc. cod.lat.III,46/2099: Liturgia in figura, 1994, fig.19 and Codici e Manoscritti della Bibliotheca Antoniana, 1975, fig.153).