Collection of leaves from decorated manuscripts in Latin, on vellum [Germany, fifteenth century]

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vellum

11 leaves: (a) bifolium from a large Missal, each leaf approximately 340mm. by 260mm., with part of a Mass for the Trinity, one large initial ‘B’, 76mm. high, in vivid blue with acanthus-leaf scrolls picked out in white, on red-brown ground with tessellating circles in yellow penwork, all within a green and brown frame with one large brown bauble with penwork in margin, 7 simple initials in red or blue (one ‘I’ with trailing ascender, so whole initial nearly half the page in height), one-line initials and rubrics in red, double column, 30 lines in an angular German bookhand, vertical border and half of outer column cut away from second leaf, fold along one side of spine from reuse in later binding now split, partly erased inscription “1567” (from accounts the leaf was once used to bind), spots and stains (one with damage in line across centre of initial), southern Germany (perhaps Augsburg), mid-fifteenth century; (b) fragment of a bifolium from another service book, the whole 410mm. by 240mm., with remains of two columns of 26 lines of a fine late gothic bookhand, with music in smaller script written in hufnagelschrift neumes on a red stave line, capitals touched in red, simple initials in red or dark blue, one large initial ‘I’ ending in well-executed bearded human face, loss of outer column from one leaf, a few lines trimmed from base, “1600” and notes in German in hand of late sixteenth- or early seventeenth-century, Germany, early fifteenth century; plus 7 other leaves from similar service books, each approximately 340mm. by 200mm., all double column, in late gothic bookhands, some with elaborately trailing initials in red and blue, all with sixteenth and early seventeenth century additions of dates and notes from reuse as account-book covers; all recovered from bindings with stains, folds and small holes