An illuminated leaf from the 'St Albans Bible', in Latin [France (Paris), c.1330-50]

single leaf, 295x198mm, vellum, 2 columns, 46 lines, 188x122mm, containing the text of Deuteronomy 6:24-9:7, with 3 two-line illuminated initials, each with a border extending the full height of the page and expanding into the upper and lower margins with ivy-leaf sprays

From a somewhat imperfect and mutilated Bible sold in our rooms, 6 July 1964, lot 239; individual leaves were offered by the end of the same year in Duschnes, Catalogue 169. It has been proposed that it is one of two Bibles recorded as obtained for St Albans by Michael of Mentmore, Abbot of St Albans 1335-49 (see C. de Hamel in Fine Books and Book Collecting, 1981, pp.10-12).