- 48
The interpretation of Hebrew names, from a large illuminated Bible, in Latin, on vellum [Northern France (doubtless Paris), second quarter of the thirteenth century]
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
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Description
- Vellum
57 leaves, 300mm. by 205mm., wanting a leaf at end, else text complete, collation: i10 (i-ii wanting, perhaps cancelled blanks), ii-iv12, v10, vi1 (ii wanting), foliated 463-519 in modern pencil (followed here), double column, 41 lines in black ink in a fine early gothic bookhand, rubrics in red, one- and 2-line initials in alternate red and blue with contrasting penwork, similar penwork used to fill a few lines of space at edge of text accidentally left by scribe on fol.481v, elaborate scrolling line-fillers and running titles in same, marginalia set within coloured shields, eighteen large initials in blue heightened with delicate scalloping white tracery on burgundy grounds within gold frames, enclosing geometric foliage or lacertine animals with biting mouths and long foliate tails, each with simple coloured foliate extensions with gold fruit, one three-quarter page initial ‘I’ (fol.493v) formed of a burgundy bar with undulating penwork and dots, with a winged dragon with a gold fruit in its mouth sitting on top, the dragon’s blue tail forming a frame to one side of the initial and forking into foliage in bas-de-page, leaves cockled in places, some slight damage to last leaf with scuffing to foliage in border and small holes at outer edge, else in excellent condition with wide and clean margins, mottled vellum over pasteboards (front board slightly bowed)
Catalogue Note
This is the last section of a monumental Paris Bible, with nineteen initials in the style of the Vie de Saint Denis workshop, which dominated Parisian illumination in the second quarter of the thirteenth century (cf.Branner, Manuscript Illumination in Paris, 1977, pp.87-93).