Diurnal of Dominican Use, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [southern Germany (Upper Rhineland, perhaps Strasbourg), early fourteenth century]

337 leaves (plus two paper flyleaves at end), 160mm. by 115mm., complete, catchwords, collation: i6, ii-x12, xi10, xii-xxv12, xxvi-xxvii10, xxviii8, xxix10, xxx7 (viii wanting, blank), 16 lines in a gothic bookhand, written space: 98mm. by 65mm., capitals stroked in red, rubrics in red, one-line initials in red or blue, 2-line initials in red or blue with contrasting pen-flourishing, often including small flowers, partly accompanied by fleur-de-lys bars and occasionally small animals, a hybrid figure on fol.32v, a small dragon on fol.58v, a bird on fol.242v, a dog lifting his paw on fol.244v and a bird perched on a sprig of flowers on fol.279v, one four-line puzzle initial in red and blue with contrasting pen-flourishing (fol.232v), including small flowers and a fantastic figure biting a ball, accompanied by three-sided fleur-de-lys bars in red and blue, one five-line initial in red and blue including white lacertine dragons with contrasting pen-flourishing including small flowers and a sitting dog, accompanied by full fleur-de-lys bars in red and blue with roundels at the corners (fol.9r), leaves slightly stained, some affected by ink corrosion, fol.219 partly damaged, two splits in vellum repaired with coloured silk (fols.237, 259), in good condition, fifteenth- or sixteenth-century brown leather binding, blind-tooled with arabesque and floral designs, heavily rubbed, sometimes down to the lower grain of the leather, remains of two leather straps

(1) The decoration of this Diurnal is characteristic for the Upper Rhine region in the early fourteenth century. It was made for Dominican use, as clearly indicated by the grading totum duplex for the feasts of the Dominican saints (SS. Thomas Aquinas, 7 March; Peter the martyr, 29 April; translation of Dominic, 24 May; Dominic, 5 August). The major commemorations of the Dominican order are also present (the anniversaries of the parents of the brothers and sisters of our order, 4 February; of those buried in our cemeteries, 7 July; of deceased friends and benefactors, 5 September; and of all deceased brothers and sisters of our order, 10 October). The name Dietericus de Burchein was added to the Calendar on 8 January by a near contemporary hand. He is not a saint. However, a Dietherichen von Burchein is mentioned in a Strasbourg document of 3 November 1292 (C. Bühler, Regesten bis 1300, I, no.279), and he may have been the original owner of the volume or a significant benefactor of the Dominican monastery for which the manuscript was made. It is stylistically notably close to another Diurnal for Dominican use (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Acc. No. 09.328), and they must have been produced by the same workshop.

text

The Diurnal includes: a Calendar (fol.1r); Libellus iste qui diurnal dicitus eo quod diurnum officium in ipso contineatur… (fol.7r); the Temporal from Advent to the 25th Sunday after Pentecost (fol.9r); the Sanctoral from St. Andrew to St. Saturninus (fol.125r); the Common of Saints (fol.217r); the Ferial Office (fol.232v); and a Litany and Offices added by various hands (fol.289v).