Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone

PROVENANCE: 1. Made in the last quarter of the 15th century, part of a large choir book, illustrating the line from Psalm 53 in which the fool is one who denies God: ‘The fool says in his heart “There is no God.”‘ . 2. Captain John Henry Ball (d.1938): his red stamp on the reverse. Acquired probably in the 1920s and placed on deposit with his substantial collection of antiquities, arms and armour, and medieval items, at the Hertfordshire Museum, St Albans. By descent to: 3. His son, John Brayfield Ball (d.1940); bought by Capt. Ball’s executor, Sydney Edward Lucas (d.1970), by whom withdrawn from the Museum and sold at: 4. Christie's, London, May 16, 1961, probably part of lot 146 (the figure identified as Lazarus) bought by Rogers. 5. Collection of Karl and Elizabeth Katz, their sale at Christie’s: Script and Illumination: Featuring the Karl and Elizabeth Katz Collection on12th Dec 2017, lot 27. One of the Middle Ages’ most popular and ever present figures: the Fool, in an elegant pink initial ‘D’ COMMENTARY: Against a blue ground decorated with swirling white tracings stands the figure of a happy fool, safely encased by the soft pink body of a letter ‘D’ with white leaf-like embellishments. The male figure is dressed in a grey tunic that is coming apart at the seams, carrying a club and wearing a cap of very faintly visible feathers. His gaze is turned upwards, to heavens, unaware of where his next step is going to take him — off a cliff or into the next adventure? The fool was a central figure in the imagination and visual landscape of the Middle Ages, from murals to paintings, to card games, human foolishness embodied in the figure of the fool was ever present. In liturgical manuscripts, the fool was traditionally used to illustrate the introduction of Psalm 53, opening with Dixit insipiens in corde suo (‘The fool said in his heart’) where he took centre stage. Our content looking figure can be attributed to the artist Antonio Maria da Villafora, who was active in Padua for an extensive period from 1469 until his death in 1511 (Armstrong 2018, p.76). Payment records survive for a Missal illuminated in his hand and a copy of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis by Vicent Beauvais and Antonio Maria is further documented in 1482 at the University of Padua, where he worked as an illuminator attached to the faculty of law (cf. Bagatini 2001). Besides working for individual patrons, such as Pietro Barozzi, Bishop of Padua (1489–1505), whose manuscripts and incunabula are now in the Biblioteca Capitolare in Padua, he also worked on monastic commissions of impressive liturgical books. In his later years he almost exclusively worked for the Benedictine congregation of San Giustina in Pada (Canova 1978, Bagatin 2001, Bollati 1994, p.69–73) for whom he illuminated a number of psalters — now held at Padua, Biblioteca Civica, ms.811, 812. In Gnaccolini’s Dizionario biografico dei miniatori italiani, Antonio Maria is praised as the leading figure of the Paduan Renaissance for the volume, continuity, and high quality of his output. (Gnaccolini 2004, pp.36-9). His recognisable style is marked by the strong features of his human figures, often with slightly upturned noses as exemplified by the figure of the fool in our initial. The portrait also demonstrates his careful modelling of faces which is achieved through multiple layers of brushstrokes — a technique that Villafora perfected towards the end of his career. The depiction of the fool is a clear foreshadowing of this artistic trajectory and pinnacle of his work. LITERATURE: Alexander, J. J. G. The Decorated Letter. New York: George Braziller, 1978, nos.17–18. Alexander, J. J. G., and A. C. de la Mare. The Italian Manuscripts in the Library of Major J. R. Abbey. London: Faber and Faber, 1969, 109. Bagatin, Pier Luigi. Antonio Maria da Villafora: tra università, curia e monasteri, un miniatore ritrovato. Antilia. Treviso: Antilia, 2001. Bradley, John W. A Dictionary of Miniaturists, Illuminators, Calligraphers, and Copyists. 3 vols. London, 1887–1889. D’Ancona, Paolo, and Hans Aeschlimann. Miniature Painting. Milan, 1949. De Ricci, Seymour. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. 3 vols. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1935–1940, vol. 2, 1337. Fumian, Silvia. Gli incunaboli miniati e xilografati della Biblioteca Capitolare di Padova. Fonti e ricerche di storia ecclesiastica padovana 38. Padua: Istituto per la storia ecclesiastica padovana, 2014, 49–63, 157–227. Gnaccolini, Laura Paola. Dizionario biografico dei miniatori italiani. Milan: Editrice Bibliografica, 2004. —. “Antonio Maria da Villafora.” In Dizionario biografico dei miniatori italiani, 36–40. Kidd, Peter. “Medieval Manuscripts from the Collection of Captain Jack Ball.” In Beyond Words: New Research on Manuscripts in Boston Collections, edited by Jeffrey F. Hamburger, Lisa Fagin Davis, Anne E. McGee Morgan, Nancy Netzer, and William P. Stoneman. Turnhout: Brepols, 2016. Mariani Canova, Giordana. Miniatura veneta del Rinascimento. Venice: Neri Pozza, 1969, 80–96, 96, 130–136, 134–135, 163, cat. 117. New York, The Art of the Renaissance Book (exh. cat.). New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2005–2006, no. 30, 154–157. Padua, Biblioteca Capitolare: Manuscripts of the Renaissance (exh. cat.). Padua, 1999, nos. 139–142, 153–165, 167. Walther, Ingo F. Codices illustres: The World’s Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts. Cologne: Taschen, 2001, 386–389. The Art of the Renaissance Book. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2005.

View 1 of Lot 74: Illuminated Manuscript—Initial ‘D’ from a choir book illuminated by Antonio Maria da Villafora, (North-Eastern Italy, Padua), last quarter 15th century

illuminated manuscript—initial ‘d’ from a choir book illuminated by antonio maria da villafora, (north-eastern italy, padua), last quarter 15th century

PROVENANCE: 1. Apparently from a manuscript perhaps produced in north-western France in c.1420, enriched with large miniatures added by the Mazarine Master in Paris. 2. Perhaps owned by Vladimir Simkhovitch (1874–1959) of New York, who sold the four leaves with large miniatures (see below) to the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1953 and 1955. 3. Probably owned by Heinrich Eisemann c.1953, from whom bought by: 4. Eric Korner (1893–1980); his nos. 80–81; 5. sold by his heirs in our rooms, 19 June 1990, lot 26. Two attractive leaves from a Parisian Book of Hours with miniatures by the Mazarine Master COMMENTARY: Two very personal leaves with illuminations by the workshop of the Mazarine Master: the first showing St Christopher carrying the Christ Child and St Denis holding his mitred head; the second depicting St Martin dividing his cloak on the recto and St Mary Magdalene. The two leaves were excised from a Book of Hours and contain parts of the Suffrages to the Saints. Suffrages are often short, specialised prayers dedicated to an individual saint, intended to seek intercession, protection, and guidance on behalf of oneself or loved ones. These sections were highly personal and tailored to the specific patron, and to the diocese or city in which the owner lived. The four saints represented in these leaves were popular intercessors, beseeched in practical matters of salvation and protection. They are characteristic of late medieval lay devotion and are frequently found in Books of Hours for the Use of Paris, each being associated with everyday practical concerns of salvation and protection. As patron saint of Paris, St Denis was one of the most popular saintly figures in Books of Hours from the region. St Christopher offered protection against sudden death and was one of the preferred saints of travellers and pilgrims. St Denis was often invoked against headaches — despite carrying his head as a sign of his martyrdom — while St Martin is invoked against poverty, and St Mary Magdalene offers the forgiveness of sins. All saints are depicted with their traditional attributes against colourful geometrical backgrounds and set within thin golden frames. They are each charmingly rendered, with details that might strike the modern viewer as humorous — St Denis’s halo is placed on top of his body where his head once was, despite its clear absence, and the bright, crisp white braies of the beggar, together with the benevolent expression of St Martin, catch the eye of the beholder. Apparently from the same manuscript are a handful of leaves, including larger miniatures, four formerly in the Korner Collection, sold in our rooms on 19th June 1990, lots 21–24. Additional sister leaves from the Suffrages include small miniatures in a style characteristic of Brittany or perhaps Normandy, as well as two leaves from a New York collection, sold in our rooms on 21st June 1994, lot 26, bought by Maggs (their Catalogue 1222, 1996, nos. 2–3, with col. pls.), and one bought from Korner by Rosy Schilling and sold after her death in our rooms on 5th December 1994, lot 24. LITERATURE: Andrews, Christine Geisler. “The Boucicaut Masters.” The Art Bulletin 63, no. 1 (March 1981): 7–28. Avril, François, et Nicole Reynaud. Les manuscrits à peintures en France, 1440–1520. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1993. Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). “Maître de la Mazarine.” Catalogue général. Accessed June 3, 2026. https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb154998730. Reinburg, Virginia. French Books of Hours: Making an Archive of Prayer, c. 1400–1600. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Wieck, Roger S. Painted Prayers: The Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance Art. New York: George Braziller, 1997.

View 1 of Lot 77: Illuminated Manuscript—Four small miniatures on two leaves from a Book of Hours, in Latin with rubrics in French, (France, Brittany or Normandy(?), c.1420

illuminated manuscript—four small miniatures on two leaves from a book of hours, in latin with rubrics in french, (france, brittany or normandy(?), c.1420

A Marvelous Journey: The Collection of Maurice Tempelsman

Francesco d’Antonio del Chierico Leaf from an Antiphonal illuminated by Francesco d’Antonio del Chierico, initial ‘A’ showing Judith brandishing a sword with the decapitated head of Holofernes, [Italy, Florence], second half of the 15th century Illuminated leaf on vellum (568 x 405 mm). Illuminated initial "A" depicting Judith with her sword raised and the decapitated head of Holofernes in her left hand, with a luxurious border of plant and abstract motifs hinting at Renaissance architecture, five lines of text written in Gothic liturgical bookhand in black ink, with rubrications indicating the different parts of the office as well as denoting the specific feast day, five lines of music in square notation on red lines, the verso also also with five lines of text and musical notation; minute cockling and soiling, the usual small losses in the gilding, a thin incision around the Judith figure and a tear in the right margin with restorations to verso, a pencil annotation ("17") in lower right-hand corner of the recto, otherwise in excellent condition. In an old-style, double-sided, painted frame. A finely painted Renaissance Italian illumination of Judith with the head of Holofernes, symbolic of virtue triumphing over tyranny, by Lorenzo de' Medici's favorite illuminator, Francesco di Antonio del Chierico. Brandishing a sword in her right hand, the pallid head of Holofernes in her left, Judith stands atop the body of her slain enemy. The beautiful and enticing color palette, consisting of pinks, reds, greens and blues, stand in stark contrast with the dramatic scene; Judith is dressed in a beautiful pink short-sleeved kirtle above a fiery red dress, and is depicted in front of an intricately decorated blue initial. The curve of her sword follows the arch of the letter "A" above her and creates an enticing composition. Judith’s face with her arched eyebrows while serene, reflects her triumph over the Assyrian general and by extension his armies who laid siege to the city of Bethulia. Her features are modelled softly and delicately but capture the spirit of resistance and strong conviction that fueled her actions. The left margin of the manuscript is luxuriously decorated with a wide and vibrant border featuring abstract floral and vegetal elements that are reminiscent of Renaissance architecture interspersed with glistening golden bezants. The modelling of the face as well as the border reaffirm the attribution to Chierico. Ms.74, a leaf held at the Getty Museum, which is securely attributed to Chierico, contains a very similar border of vegetal sprays and fan like floral arrangements. Similarly, leaf 9r of W.334 (Walters Museum Baltimore) which dates from the third quarter of the 15th century, bears a border similar to ours. Francesco di Antonio del Chierico (1433–1484) was a prolific goldsmith turned illuminator during the early Renaissance. He was a student of the influential Fra Angelico and active in Florence in the 15th century. Among others, he worked for Cosimo, Piero de Medici, and Federigo da Montefeltro—some of the most prestigious patrons of the Renaissance period. He is said to have been Lorenzo de’ Medici’s favorite illuminator. Working with the renowned bookseller Vespasiano da Bisticci, he gained the attention of high-ranking patrons beyond Italy, including Ferdinand I of Naples, Louis XI of France, and Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary. The extant manuscripts convey his artistry, innovative style, and hint at the breadth of his œuvre; he illuminated a wide range of texts, encompassing literary, historical, and liturgical books from octavo-format to impressive choir books. The leaf showcases the ease with which the artist adapted to different formats and book types and is a beautiful example of his style, notably the soft color palette, elegant facial features, and exuberant floral border. The initial "A" introduces the text used for the first response of the first nocturn of Matins for the fourth Sunday in Autumn (see the rubrication: dominica quarta mensis septembris) starting with Adonay domine deu(s magne et mirabilis), transl. O Adonai, Lord, great and wonderful God. The prayers, hymns, psalms, and scripture readings of Matins were traditionally recited, respectively sang, between the hours of midnight and dawn. The Book of Judith is read throughout the fourth week of September. PROVENANCE Florence, second half of the 15th century — H.P. Kraus after 1939 until latest 1988 to current consignor

View 1 of Lot 29: Francesco di Antonio del Chierico | Judith and Holofernes, illuminated antiphonal leaf

francesco di antonio del chierico | judith and holofernes, illuminated antiphonal leaf

An elegant miniature by the workshop of one of Paris’ most prolific artists, the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse

An elegant miniature by the workshop of one of Paris’ most prolific artists, the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse PROVENANCE: 1. Made for a highly decorated Book of Hours, certainly a noble commission. 2. Pencil numbering 227707 on verso. 3. Another leaf apparently from the same manuscript, showing the Baptism of Christ, was sold in our rooms, 12 December 1967, lot 6, afterwards Maggs, Bulletin 6 (1969), no.8, with plate. 4. Sotheby’s, Western Manuscripts, 7th June 2006, lot 30. COMMENTARY: This sophisticated scene depicts the Annunciation to the Shepherds in a style that can be traced back to one of Tours’ leading artist, Jean Bourdichon, before proliferating more widely, until it reached the French capital. The miniature is most likely made by the workshop or under the direct influence of the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse (previously known as the Master of Morgan 219). This artist was active in Paris c.1493-c.1510 and created beautiful high-profile commissions for patrons such as Philippa of Guelders, wife of Duke René of Lorraine often in collaboration with other leading artists, such as Jean Pichore and the Master of Jacques the Besançon. The work of this artist is closely connected to the fine printed editions of Antoine Vérard who were highly popular in the French capital and beyond. It is likely that the artist drew inspirations from these highly influential and impressive printed works. The artist is likely to have worked in this medium as well, probably designing woodcuts for printed books. The miniature is placed in a gently arched window opening a view onto a brightly illuminated night scene of the Annunciation to the Shepherds. Placed in a verdant and lush landscape two shepherds receive the news of the coming of the saviour. Above the two shepherds a golden and etherial angel appears, radiating light, that bathes the two figures in a golden hue by using fine gold hatchings. The leaf hints at the former glory of the complete manuscript with its dual-coloured border of liquid gold and exuberant decoration. The verso offers us more hints at the origin of the manuscript, using blue for rubrics which catch the eye is characteristic for Parisian Books of Hours. The Use, identifiable in the antiphon ‘Maria virgo’, is that of Rome. This precious leaf unveils the influential position of Parisian illuminators and the close connection between luxury manuscript copies and fine printed editions at the beginning of the 16th century. LITERATURE: Burin, Elizabeth. Manuscript Illumination in Lyons, 1473–1530. Turnhout: Brepols, 2001. Avril, François, et Nicole Reynaud. Les manuscrits à peintures en France, 1440–1520. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1993. Reinburg, Virginia. French Books of Hours: Making an Archive of Prayer, c. 1400–1600. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Wieck, Roger S. Painted Prayers: The Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance Art. New York: George Braziller, 1997. König, Eberhard. French Illuminated Manuscripts, 1200–1500. London: Harvey Miller, 2014.

View 1 of Lot 73: Illuminated Manuscript—The Annunciation to the Shepherds, miniature from a luxurious Book of Hours (Use of Rome) by the workshop of the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse, [northern France (probably Paris), c.1500]

illuminated manuscript—the annunciation to the shepherds, miniature from a luxurious book of hours (use of rome) by the workshop of the master of the chronique scandaleuse, [northern france (probably paris), c.1500]

Twenty charming and endearing calendar miniatures showing the Labours of the Month and Zodiac signs

Twenty charming and endearing calendar miniatures showing the Labours of the Month and Zodiac signs PROVENANCE: 1. From a Ghent or Bruges Book of Hours or Breviary. 2. Likely from a French private collection. 3. Swiss dealer Peter Birmann assembled a monumental album of 475 miniatures in the early 1790s and completed it by 1796. It was assembled without recognisable organisation — at least from an outside perspective. Even miniatures from the same manuscript were not placed in their intended original order. Based on the lack of organisation, it is assumed that Birmann intended to sell them off individually or in groups as the album included an itemised list of prices for the individual pieces. 4. Sold to Daniel Burckhardt-Wildt (1752–1819), Basel silk-ribbon merchant, antiquarian, and collector in 1796 for 444 livres tournois. 5. By descent through his heirs in Basel until sold in these rooms, 25 April 1983, lot 113. COMMENTARY: The Swiss native, Peter Birmann, was one of the first bookdealers to specialise in illuminated manuscripts following a career as landscape painter. After extensive travels throughout Europe, Birman arrived in Paris which was plagued by the toils of the French Revolution. One of the victims of the revolution were private libraries of the aristocracy which had been assembled over centuries. With the dissolution and dispersal of these collections, a multitude of illuminated manuscripts came onto the market. While unthinkable today, these manuscripts were sold purely by weight, disregarding their history or ornamentation. This opened the floodgate for clever and enterprising bookdealers who realised the significance of the decorated pages and recognised a profitable opportunity. Starting in the 1790s until 1796, Biermann created a monumental album of 475 miniatures of cuttings from illuminated manuscripts. It is unclear if he himself excised the miniatures or if he bought them already separated. In 1976 Biermann sold the album to the Basel silk-merchant, Daniel Burckhardt-Wildt (1752–1819), where it remained for nearly two hundred years. 1983, the album was sold in our rooms in London. There did not appear to be a particular system of organisation in place, at least to the outside viewer. Even miniatures originating from the same manuscript were not placed in their originally intended order. The album also contained an itemised list of prices for each of the individual miniatures which emphasises the fact that it was not Birmann’s intention to keep the album intact as a work in and of itself. The sale of the album received widespread attentions from private collectors as well as scholars. ILLUMINATION: The ten roundels offer charming insights into the annual cycle of pastoral life during the early 16th century, depicting farmers sowing, reaping, threshing grain, tending to livestock and getting ready to slaughter a pig. We also get glimpses into more gentil life, a man warming himself in front of an ebullient fire and two lovers gallivanting through a spring landscape. On the revers, we find the Zodiac Signs. These are executed in an advanced naturalistic fashion, making it possible to distinguish between the scorpion for Scorpio and a cray fish for the Cancer sign. These small vignettes of medieval life are imbued with a levity and a tongue in cheek humour that endears them to the onlooker from the first glance onwards. The human figures exhibit a range of characteristics that are found in the works of the Dresden Master whose charming and whimsical style is particularly adept at capturing the humoresque depiction of peasant life. Particularly the male figures are short and stocky with strong arms and legs clothed in colourful garbs often with bright orange details and hats pulled low over their eyes. There are twenty miniatures on either side of ten roundels. The subjects are: 1. A nobleman warming himself by the fire, sitting in a high-backed chair with his feet on a mat and with a silver jug on the sideboard behind him. Verso: Aquarius, the water-bearer emptying two flagons into a river. January. 36mm×37mm. 2. A peasant chopping small trees. He wrapped up against the cold which is evident in the earth that lightly touched by frost. Verso: Pisces, two fish depicted hovering in the air. February. 36mm×37mm. 3. A courting couple dressed up in their Sunday best walking through a verdant landscape, with arms interlinked. The man has picked up a stick. Verso: Taurus, an ox resting in a field; behind it birds soaring around a windmill. April. 35mm×37mm. 4. A peasant with a scythe mowing grass in a field. Behind is a fence with a gate and a path into the woods. Verso: Cancer, a crayfish-like creature in a landscape. June. 36mm×36mm. 5. A peasant in a sunhat cutting wheat with a sickle. The wheat stalks are tall and mingled with little flowers. Verso: Leo, a lion majestically reposing in a field. July. 36mm×37mm. 6. Two peasants in a barn threshing wheat with flails. Their leggings are worn threadbare and their feet are visible. Verso: Virgo, a virgin standing by a path near a wood. August. 37mm×37mm. 7. A peasant stomping grapes in a great vat. Other barrels are visible behind in a storeroom. Verso: Libra, a girl in a counting-house holding up a pair of scales. September. 37mm×37mm. 8. A peasant sowing in a ploughed field. Behind is a fence and gate and paths running between trees. Verso: Scorpio, a scorpion in a landscape. October. 35mm×36mm. 9. A peasant knocking down acorns for his pigs which root around under the trees. Verso: Sagittarius, a centaur with a bow and arrow. November. 36mm×35mm. 10. A peasant readying himself to kill a pig for Christmas. The man wears an apron and is swinging his axe; the pig is tied to a stool and backs away anxiously. Behind is the manor house. Verso: Capricorn, a ram standing in a field. Behind a fence, people can be seen on a path. December. 35mm×35mm. An utterly charming set of miniatures that hint at later developments of Flemish book art and painting in the course of the 16th century. LITERATURE de Hamel, Christopher. Cutting Up Manuscripts for Pleasure and Profit. Ann Arbor: Book Arts Press, 2002. Die flämische Buchmalerei am Ende des Burgunderreichs: Der Meister des Dresdener Gebetbuchs und die Miniaturisten seiner Zeit. Turnhout: Brepols, 1997. Hindman, Sandra, Michael Camille, Nina Rowe, and Rowan Watson, eds. Manuscript Illumination in the Modern Age: Recovery and Reconstruction. Evanston, IL: Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, 2001. Kren, Thomas, and Scot McKendrick, eds. Illuminating the Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. Morgan, Nigel. “The Burckhardt-Wildt Apocalypse.” In Art at Auction: The Year at Sotheby’s 1982–83, 162–69. London, 1983. Smeyers, Maurice. Flemish Miniatures from the 8th to the Mid-16th Century. Turnhout: Brepols, 1999. Lucas, Emerald. “Cuttings from the Burckhardt-Wildt Album, Together Again.” The Morgan Library & Museum Blog. https://www.themorgan.org/blog/cuttings-burckhardt-wildt-album-together-again. “Donne Hours Codicological Puzzle.” Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art. https://jhna.org/articles/donne-hours-codicological-puzzle/.

View 1 of Lot 76: Illuminated Manuscript—A set of twenty illuminated roundels, on vellum showing the Zodiac Signs and Labours of the Month from a Flemish Book of Hours or Breviary, (likely Ghent or Bruges), c.1500 

illuminated manuscript—a set of twenty illuminated roundels, on vellum showing the zodiac signs and labours of the month from a flemish book of hours or breviary, (likely ghent or bruges), c.1500

A dramatic scene from the romuléon, the only manuscript copy of the text of french origin, illuminated by the artist pierre gautier

A dramatic scene from the romuléon, the only manuscript copy of the text of french origin, illuminated by the artist pierre gautier PROVENANCE: 1. The Romuléon manuscript from which this and other dispersed miniatures originated was traced in Niort (now at the Médiathèque Pierre-Moinot, Cote RES G2F). The manuscript was given to the library in 1884 by Edmond-Emmanuel Arnauldet (1827–1899), , a local judge. 2. The present cutting was part of lot 9 from an album of 14 miniatures dispersed at Christie's, 21 June 1989, lots 6-11. 3. Christie's, New York, 12 December 2017, lot 31. 4. Purchased from Maggs Brothers, London, 2019/20; COMMENTARY: The dramatic scene depicted in the miniature shows the defeat of the Seleucid emperor Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC by the forces of the Roman Republic and their allies, the Kingdom of Pergamon. His defeat resulted in a substantial loss of land of the Seleucid empire and Antiochus died only three years later on a subsequent expedition. The battle wages in front of a beautiful landscape of soft hills. Separated by a meandering river is an imposing Gothic castle with a prominent rectangular donjon reminiscent of the Château de Vincennes that was used by the French kings. Like a black tide, the knights are enmeshed in battle on horse back and the bodies of the fallen begin to pile up under their horses hoves. The miniature was part of the Romuléon, a monumental work that covered the history of Ancient Rome from the time of Romulus and Remus to Constantine the Great. Its original compiler, Benvenuto Rambaldi da Imola (1330 –1388), drew on a variety of classical and Christian sources to create his influential compilation. In the course of the 1460s histories as well as chronicles were in high demand among the noble and learned elite, which resulted in not only one, but two writers translating the work from Latin into French — independently of each other (cf. McKendrick, pp.149-69). This translation shows the immense increase in popularity of the work, making it more easily accessible to the wider audiences at court and beyond. Our miniature stems from a manuscript translated by Jean Miélot, who worked as a translator and scribe in the service of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, one of the time’s leading patrons of the arts who commissioned the work. Only six complete manuscript copies of Miélot’s translation are extant and all of them originate in the orbit of the Burgundian court and were sophisticated luxury editions. Thirteen other leaves, most likely from the same manuscript are known, and were sold together with the present miniature at Christie's, 21 June 1989, lots 6-11. The leaves were attributed to the artist Pierre Garnier, a court painter of Duke René of Anjou between 1476-1480 (Lauga, 2007) and active in Langres until 1493 (Reynaud p.376). This miniature stems from the only known copy of the Romuléon that can claim a French origin. The dramatic scene is an expression of the changing literary taste and thirst for histories by the Burgundian elite in the second half of the 15th century. LITERATURE: Avril, François, and Nicole Reynaud. Les manuscrits à peintures en France, 1440–1520. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1993. Lauga, Jacques. “Les manuscrits liturgiques dans le diocèse de Langres à la fin du Moyen Âge: les commanditaires et leurs artistes.” PhD diss., Université Paris IV–Sorbonne, 2007. McKendrick, Scot. “The Romuléon and the Manuscripts of Edward IV.” In Proceedings of the 1992 Harlaxton Symposium, 149–169. Stamford: Paul Watkins, 1994. McKendrick, Scot. “Charles the Bold and the Romuléon: Reception, Loss and Influence.” In Kunst- und Kulturtransfer zur Zeit Karls des Kühnen, edited by Norberto Gramaccini and Markus C. Schurr, 59–84. Turnhout: Brepols, 2012.

View 1 of Lot 75: Illuminated Manuscript—The Defeat of Antiochus, King of Syria at the Battle of Magnesia, miniature from the Romuléon [Eastern France, c.1480]

illuminated manuscript—the defeat of antiochus, king of syria at the battle of magnesia, miniature from the romuléon [eastern france, c.1480]

Books, Manuscripts & Music, from Medieval to Modern

17 × 95 mm, an illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours depicting the Crucifixion by the Master of Guillebert de Mets (Southern Netherlands, probably Ghent), c.1440; a beautiful miniature contained within a gently arched frame, surrounded by luxurious and substantial gold border, infilled with curling and unfurling vegetal and floral elements, with the vegetal elements creating colourful swirls at each corner of the frame; the miniature is surrounded on three sides by further decorative vines with trefoil leaves and floral elements; at the centre of the miniature is the emaciated body of Christ on the cross, flanked in the background by the crucified figures of Gestas and Dismas under a dark blue, foreboding-looking sky; in front of the cross to the left is the mourning Virgin Mary, clothed in dark blue, supported in her grief by the Apostle St John, while on the right of the composition a group of soldiers taunt and torment the crucified Dismas; excellent condition.

17 × 95 mm, an illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours depicting the Crucifixion by the Master of Guillebert de Mets (Southern Netherlands, probably Ghent), c.1440; a beautiful miniature contained within a gently arched frame, surrounded by luxurious and substantial gold border, infilled with curling and unfurling vegetal and floral elements, with the vegetal elements creating colourful swirls at each corner of the frame; the miniature is surrounded on three sides by further decorative vines with trefoil leaves and floral elements; at the centre of the miniature is the emaciated body of Christ on the cross, flanked in the background by the crucified figures of Gestas and Dismas under a dark blue, foreboding-looking sky; in front of the cross to the left is the mourning Virgin Mary, clothed in dark blue, supported in her grief by the Apostle St John, while on the right of the composition a group of soldiers taunt and torment the crucified Dismas; excellent condition. PROVENANCE From an illuminated Book of Hours made by the Master of Guillebert de Mets and his workshop, c.1440.Jörn Günther Rare Books;Sold to current owner. A luxurious and exuberant work by the renowned but elusive Master of Guillebert de Mets COMMENTARY The luxurious miniature at hand is executed most likely by the Masters of Guillebert de Mets. Guillebert himself was an adept scribe and a native of Grammont. Working in the service of Philip the Good, he wrote the earliest vernacular chronicle of medieval Paris, called Description de Paris. While in Paris, the young Guillebert rubbed shoulders with some of France’s intellectual elite, including one of the most influential female authors, Christine de Pizan. However, after the murder of his main patron, John the Fearless, in 1419, Guillebert was forced to return to Grammont, where he started to build his own book business. While he executed the calligraphic elements of manuscript production, he assembled a group of accomplished illuminators who were soon in demand at the ducal court of Burgundy and created works for leading bibliophiles of the time. Sixty-four manuscripts and fragments have survived from this prolific workshop and were assembled by Vanwijnsberghe and Verroken in 2017. Their research highlighted the close relationship and artistic exchange between Paris, as a centre of the French book trade, and the Low Countries and the Burgundian court. This exchange and bilateral influence are tangible in the elegant products of the workshop of the Master of Guillebert de Mets, who in his capacity as a scribe had worked for both French and Flemish patrons. ILLUMINATION Using a beautiful and precious palette of blues and greens with orange and red accents, the artist creates long figures with alabaster complexions that are highlighted by the strong colours used for their floor-length garments. Besides the liberal use of gold, silver is generously applied, making the leaf even more precious and costly in its creation. While the Book of Hours in which our leaf originated has not yet been identified, the Crucifixion usually introduced the opening of the Hours of the Cross. The sombre nature of the dramatic scenes is contrasted by a few small but poignant details that enliven the borders, such as a devil and angel near the head of the border who are grasping the souls of Gestas and Dismas, the impenitent and the good thief. While Dismas’s soul, in the form of a child-like human figure, looks towards the angel who carries it away to heaven, the soul of Gestas turns with a shocked expression towards the viewer, away from the smirking face of the devil. In the right-side margin, a shield of one of Jesus’s tormentors, which is decorated with a frowning human countenance, overlaps into the border of the initial, bridging the space between the illuminated scene and its surrounding decoration. The three figures of Christ’s tormentors are gaudily and exuberantly dressed; their faces stylised into grotesque masks. Especially the little face peering out between the cross and the frame has more animalistic features than human. The figure of the almost lifeless Mary and John the Baptist, who supports her, is gracefully modelled and presents a strong and composed contrast to the raucous group of tormentors on the right. While the two bodies of the thieves are twisting and turning in agony, the emaciated form of Christ’s body is displayed almost gracefully and still on the cross, only moments before his death. The leaf offers stylistic parallels to a Book of Hours (Getty Museum, Ms. 2 (84.ML.67)) illuminated by the Master of Guillebert de Mets, the Master of the Lee Hours (Flemish, active about 1450–1470), and the Master of Wauquelin’s Alexander (Flemish, active about 1440–1460). This manuscript is dated between 1450–1455. Our leaf also exhibits stylistic similarities to two earlier single leaves held at the Free Library of Philadelphia Lewis E. M. 5.20 and 5.19) which are dated c.1440, as well as to two Books of Hours richly illuminated by our artist, one in Bologna (Bibl. U. MS 1139) and one in the Vatican, Bib. Apost., MS Ottoboo. Lat. 2919). Based on the modelling of the human faces and figures, the leaf might be an earlier iteration of the artist’s work. LITERATURE “The Master of Guillebert de Mets: An Illuminator between Paris and Ghent?” In Als ich can: Liber amicorum in memory of Professor Dr. Maurits Smeyers, edited by Bert Cardon, Jan Van der Stock, and Dominique Vanwijnsberghe, 921–939. Leuven: Peeters, 2002. “The Master of Guillebert de Mets, Philip the Good, and the Breviary of John the Fearless.” Quaerendo 38, no. 2–3 (2008): 279–298. Vanwijnsberghe, Dominique, and Erik Verroken. À l’Escu de France: Guillebert de Mets et la peinture de livres à Gand à l’époque de Jan van Eyck (1410–1450). Brussels: KIK-IRPA, 2017. Croenen, Godfried. “Guillebert de Mets: A Bilingual Scribe, Author and Publisher between Flanders and Paris (c. 1390–c. 1438).” In Medieval French on the Move, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2025, 287–306. Somers, Sophie. “The Varied Occupations of a Burgundian Scribe: Guillebert de Mets.” In Als Ich Can, 2002, 1227–1246.

View 1 of Lot 11: An illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours depicting the Crucifixion by the Master of Guillebert de Mets (Southern Netherlands, probably Ghent), c. 1440–50

an illuminated leaf from a book of hours depicting the crucifixion by the master of guillebert de mets (southern netherlands, probably ghent), c. 1440–50

Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana. Part 2

(Bible in Latin) Illuminated manuscript fragment on vellum, Northern France, ca. 1240 13 consecutive leaves (153 x 102 mm), bound. Written in small dark brown gothic bookhand in two columns of 44 lines, ruled, 17 initials painted in shades of red, white, black, and blue, the majority of which with gold leaf, many with charming drolleries, with running titles in red and blue and countless one-line initials as well as pilcrows; margins slightly darkened and occasionally showing minor marks of usage, a few short tears to edges. Modern half vellum over marbled paper-covered boards, blackletter sticker title to upper board, red manuscript symbol to spine; lightly rubbed, sticker label lifting slightly. A attractive 13th-century example of Parisian manuscript illumination, likely accomplished by the renowned Gautier Lebaube Atelier, including the complete Books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. These beautiful leaves were likely created by the renowned Gautier Lebaube Atelier, active around 1240 in Paris. The atelier was named by Robert Branner after its leading illuminator, whose name survives on a full-page miniature showing a Tree of Consanguinity (formerly Glazier collection ms. 37, now Morgan Library). Below the kings’ feet a scroll unfolds bearing the words “GAUTIER.LEBAUBE.FIT.LABRE” (Gautier Lebaube made this tree). Under the reign of King Louis VIII and Queen Blanche of Castile, Parisian manuscript illumination experienced a Golden Age in which the Lebaube Atelier, and particularly its master, was a rising star. The artist and his atelier worked for high profile patrons including King Louis VIII and established themselves as one of the leading workshops of their time, producing stylistically cohesive and attractive works whose additional details deviated from the standard 13th-century iconography and added an enticing twist to the visual imagery of the period. Works by the artist and his collaborators can be found in leading public collections such as the BnF, Latin 36; Latin 14397, Pierpont Morgan Library, MS G.37, the Huntington Library, MS HM 1074, and Avranches, BM 24 (Gospels with gloss). Small and fantastic creatures, birds, and monsters feature prominently in the visual language of the workshop. A feature of the atelier are the tightly coiled hybrid creatures, often combining avian bodies with different animal heads, which appear in several of the initials in the present lot. REFERENCES Branner, Manuscript Painting in Paris during the Reign of Saint Louis, 1977; Two miniatures, (MS G.37.1-2), formerly Glazier Collection, https://www.themorgan.org/manuscript/77492; Sforzolini, "Un codice dell’atelier di Gautier Lebaube," in Classicismo: Medioevo, Rinascimento, barocco (1993), p. 57–63

View 1 of Lot 461: (Bible in Latin) | Illuminated manuscript fragment on vellum, Northern France, c. 1240

(bible in latin) | illuminated manuscript fragment on vellum, northern france, c. 1240

Man Ray Les Invendables: Quarante ouevres invendable de Man Ray. Vence, France: Galerie Alphonse Chave, 4 April 1969 8vo (270 x 225mm). Signed "Man Ray" and numbered "9" in pencil to colophon, leaves partially unopened, 8 tipped-in color plates, 5 engravings printed in black; few spots to title page. Original illustrated laid paper with original Japanese vellum wrappers; scattered foxing. [With:] A silver gelatin print (150 x 105 mm) mounted to black sandpaper, signed "Man Ray" in ink and numbered "9/50" in ink atop semi-translucent sticker, with red trademark stamp to verso. First edition, number 9 out of 50 copies, with a signed gelatin silver print. Published to coincide with the exhibition Les Invendables at the Galerie Alphonse Chave in Vence, France, in 1969, this exhibition catalogue contains illustrations such as Metropolis, 1913; Déjeuner sur l'herbe, 1914; Antipolis (les jumelles), 1939; Incubator, 1943; Le Pont dix, 1953; Observatoire, 1914; and Nature morte, 1914. The accompanying untitled silver gelatin print depicts a close-up shot of ambiguous lunar-like surface illuminated from the lower corner. Teasing artists and readers alike in the preface, Man Ray writes: "Les Invendables. Why? Because it is the name that is for sale. Without the signature the painting is worthless. You have to take both." REFERENCES Janus 1973, p. 13; Janus 1981, p. 159

View 1 of Lot 446: Man Ray | "it is the name that is for sale"

man ray | "it is the name that is for sale"

(Bible in English) — Francis Fry (ed.) The First New Testament Printed in the English Language (1525 or 1526) Translated from the Greek by William Tyndale Reproduced in Facsimile. Edited by Francis Fry. Bristol: Printed for the Editor, 1862 Large 4to (230 x 170 mm). Printed on vellum, woodcut title ornament, 13 illuminated miniatures and many initials in gold, blue, and red; one or two instances of scattered spotting, some toning to a few leaves, final gathering bound out of order. Full dark blue morocco by Zaehnsdorf, knotwork design tooled in gilt with red and green inlay, with Fry's name in gilt to lower board, spine with raised bands in six compartments with similar red and green motif, gilt-dentelle turn-ins, edges gilt; extremities rubbed with some minor loss. Francis Fry's personal copy of his illuminated reproduction of Tyndale's bible—one of only "a few copies" on vellum and rare in this size. Francis Fry's career spanned several disparate avenues: he ran a booming chocolate business, advocated for abolition through his Quaker faith, and amassed a large collection of bibles, becoming a leading bibliographer in the field. Fry sought to increase access to the various editions in his collection, and faithfully lithographed the present facsimile from a copy of Tyndale's 1526 New Testament, formerly held at Bristol Bible College and now at the British Library. Fry produced a total of 177 copies, mostly in small octavo formats. In his introduction, Fry explains that just 26 were issued in quarto format, and since "it was by no means uncommon for the early printers to work off some copies of their works on vellum, and as we have many examples of the Holy Scriptures having been so printed, a few copies have been taken off on this material" (17). A penciled note on the flyleaf of a copy sold at Christie's in 2000 claimed that there were "only 7 done on vellum," though that example was in octavo format. A very clean copy with large margins. We locate no other vellum copies in this size at auction. REFERENCES Herbert 1936 PROVENANCE Francis Fry (signature to p. 18, dated 3 Mo. 1862 in Cotham, Bristol) — thence by descent through the Fry family — acquired by the present owner

View 1 of Lot 466: (Bible in English) — Francis Fry | Fry's personal copy of Tyndale's New Testament

(bible in english) — francis fry | fry's personal copy of tyndale's new testament

115 × 165 mm, 211 leaves (f.1 is a numbered blank and f.210 an unnumbered blank), foliated from 1–120, foliation smudged on leaf 121, next leaf foliated 121bis, and then foliation continues 122–209, collation: i6, ii6, iii8 +1, iv8+2, v8, vi8, vii8, viii8, ix8, x8, xi8, xii8, xiii8, xiv8+1, xv8+1, xvi8, xvii8, xviii8, xix8, xx8, xxi8, xxii8, xxiii8, xxiv8, xxv8, xxvi4, xxvii8, xxviii3 (of 4, the last leaf a ruled leaf) [blank leaves: f.14, 27, 31, 105, 119v–120]; written in gothic minuscule in brown ink (calendar written in brown, red and blue ink) with gold, white, and red KL initials, text ruled in red ink, 16 lines per page, rubrics in dark red and some in blue, line fillers in red and blue with white highlights and burnished gold, initials in burnished gold on blue and red grounds with white highlights (1 line high), other initials in grey or pale pink with white highlights on red or gold grounds, sometimes with highlights in liquid gold and floral or insect motifs (2 lines high), 17 larger initials in blue with white highlights on red and gold grounds (2 to 5 lines high), illuminated borders on all pages, a combination of borders on gold grounds or with floral motifs, grotesques and hybrid zoomorphic creatures and blue and gold acanthus leaves, other historiated borders with scenes of forest life and mythical creatures; with 24 calendar illuminations, 40 small miniatures, 21 large miniatures; binding of red morocco, boards decorated with a frame of triple fillet, reinforced at the centre by a new triple fillet with small flower at the corners, decorated spine, double metal clasp issuing from the upper board, gilt edges (17th century); flaking of pigment on first leaf and occasional within borders where a finger might have rested, local small spotting in margins otherwise clean margins and in very good condition.

115 × 165 mm, 211 leaves (f.1 is a numbered blank and f.210 an unnumbered blank), foliated from 1–120, foliation smudged on leaf 121, next leaf foliated 121bis, and then foliation continues 122–209, collation: i6, ii6, iii8 +1, iv8+2, v8, vi8, vii8, viii8, ix8, x8, xi8, xii8, xiii8, xiv8+1, xv8+1, xvi8, xvii8, xviii8, xix8, xx8, xxi8, xxii8, xxiii8, xxiv8, xxv8, xxvi4, xxvii8, xxviii3 (of 4, the last leaf a ruled leaf) [blank leaves: f.14, 27, 31, 105, 119v–120]; written in gothic minuscule in brown ink (calendar written in brown, red and blue ink) with gold, white, and red KL initials, text ruled in red ink, 16 lines per page, rubrics in dark red and some in blue, line fillers in red and blue with white highlights and burnished gold, initials in burnished gold on blue and red grounds with white highlights (1 line high), other initials in grey or pale pink with white highlights on red or gold grounds, sometimes with highlights in liquid gold and floral or insect motifs (2 lines high), 17 larger initials in blue with white highlights on red and gold grounds (2 to 5 lines high), illuminated borders on all pages, a combination of borders on gold grounds or with floral motifs, grotesques and hybrid zoomorphic creatures and blue and gold acanthus leaves, other historiated borders with scenes of forest life and mythical creatures; with 24 calendar illuminations, 40 small miniatures, 21 large miniatures; binding of red morocco, boards decorated with a frame of triple fillet, reinforced at the centre by a new triple fillet with small flower at the corners, decorated spine, double metal clasp issuing from the upper board, gilt edges (17th century); flaking of pigment on first leaf and occasional within borders where a finger might have rested, local small spotting in margins otherwise clean margins and in very good condition. A rich and unique Book of Hours made for a female owner with marvellous margins PROVENANCE Manuscript made for the liturgical use of Paris (Hours of the Virgin for the use of Paris; Office of the Dead for the use of Paris). The calendar also reflects this Parisian use. Additionally, the artists who contributed to the illumination of these Hours are all Parisian, active at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century. This manuscript was made for an unidentified (female) patron whose portrait appears prominently on fol.27v. The arms in the lower border, which are supported by two greyhounds, were not executed. The initials “J H” (fol.61) and reversed “H J” (fol.61v) interlaced in the border potentially refer to the initials of the patron or of a couple. On fol.196v we find a wide golden belt with ornate buckles in the border which would have been used to cinch a very fashionable houppelande. Maybe the inclusion of this splendid sartorial item was requested by the patroness. Throughout the manuscript, two animal symbols are particularly prominent, the pelican (a full page is devoted to it on fol. 105v and in the bas-de-page on fol.106), and the butterfly (ff.15, 17, 22v, 31v, 105v, 113v).Handwritten ownership inscription on the verso of the first flyleaf: “B. Combes, priest”.France, private collection. COMMENTARY Likely made for a female noble owner, this manuscript stands out due to its distinct and attractive decoration that features identifiable forest animals alongside fantastical and whimsical creatures. The recurring motif of the pelican feeding its young by piercing its own breast is a striking symbol that might hint at the devotion and selflessness of the owner. At first glance, the manuscript reveals the distinct personality of its first owner. The Book of Hours was likely made for a noble woman who enjoyed hunting in the sheer endless forests of 15th-century France. The ethereal-looking patron, in her sombre yet sumptuous dark-red fur-lined garb and black French hood, is depicted kneeling before her prie-dieu on fol.27v. While her coat of arms was never filled in — maybe it was intended as a costly and highly personalised wedding gift for a union that did not come to pass? — the shield is supported by two greyhounds that hint at a fondness for the hunt and embody the loyalty of their owner. The border decoration features countless woodland animals such as boar, hawks, owls, and songbirds, which offer a highly symbolic backdrop to the prayers contained within by encapsulating the circle of life in its beautiful margins. ILLUMINATION The elegant miniatures in the manuscript are attributable to three distinct artists: the Master of Jean d’Albret, the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse, and the Master of Petrarch’s Triumphs, who created the portrait of the hitherto unidentified patroness. Bringing together three renowned artists of this calibre makes it likely that this commission was executed for a noble patroness of the highest rank and influence and shows her distinguished taste. With its 21 large miniatures, the manuscript is a stellar example of the deluxe Book of Hours created in Paris for distinguished patrons and patronesses at the royal court and its surroundings. Noteworthy is the number of identifiable birds, particularly birds of prey such as owls, falcons, and hawks. While these are typical motifs in many Books of Hours, taken together with the depiction of greyhounds (veltri), their strong presence hints at a partiality for hunting on the side of the patroness. Hunting and hawking, often on horseback with birds of prey and a pack of dogs, was one of the most popular pastimes of the high nobility and was enjoyed by both men and women, among them Mary of Burgundy, Isabeau of Bavaria, and Margaret of York, who were also influential bibliophiles in their own right. The manuscript contains an impressive number of 24 calendar miniatures, 16 small miniatures that illustrate the text, and 21 large full-page illuminations. The Hours of the Cross are introduced by two miniatures, one showing the pelican feeding its young by drawing blood from its own chest (f.106), placed opposite the Crucifixion scene. In Western Christian iconography, the pelican is inextricably linked with the sacrifice of Christ. While being a popular and widespread motif, it is usually used in combination with other scenes from the life of Christ, rather than being presented in isolation. By placing the pelican on the left and the crucified Christ on the right, the artist created an emotive and dramatic opening that invites the viewer to contemplate and meditate on the immutable circle of life. Juxtaposed is the pathos of the scene through the inclusion of two frolicking butterflies at the foot of the page. This captivating manuscript is the result of a collaboration between several renowned Parisian artists. It is artistically linked to a group of manuscripts decorated in a similar fashion and including animal scenes at the foot of the page or in the borders (e.g. Écouen, musée de la Renaissance, MS ecl. 1251; Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawl. Liturg. e. 36; Yale University, Beinecke Library, MS 411) and is connected to the production of Parisian printed books of the last quarter of the 15th century by the printers Du Pré, Le Rouge, and Vérard. The mise-en-page with its architectural frames, niches, and compartmentalised spaces is indebted to the layout of printed books between 1490–1500. This particular layout in printed Books of Hours allows the artist to create additional scenes around the text or central illumination, and to thematically link them as needed. Striking examples are Saint John on the island of Patmos with the beast of the Apocalypse (fol.15), which references the woodcut of the Hours printed by Du Pré 1487/1488 (Paris, BnF, Rés. Vélins 1643), or the Tree of Jesse (fol.31v), which is found in several Parisian editions of the years 1480–1490. The main part of the illuminations of these Hours can be attributed to the Master of Jean d’Albret, active in Paris from about 1490 to 1510, working on both manuscripts and printed books. His hand can be traced in multiple works by the printer Antoine Vérard. Together they created sophisticated copies for high-profile patrons, including noble women such as Anne de Beaujeu, French princess and regent, the eldest daughter of Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy. A significant portion of the miniatures was done by the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse, an anonymous illuminator active in Paris at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. Much like the Master of Jean d’Albret, he worked for a distinguished noble clientele, also cooperating with Antoine Vérard, most notably on incunabula for King Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany. The very fine illumination of the patroness on fol.27v was done by a third artist, known as the Master of the Triumphs of Petrarch, who collaborated on numerous occasions with the workshop of Jean Pichore, sometimes being confused with the latter (Zöhl 2004). He was also active for the bibliophile Cardinal Georges d’Amboise, who played a vital role in introducing Italian Renaissance works to France and amassed a vast collection in his numerous castles. LIST OF MINIATURES Calendar: The small miniatures of the calendar are attributable to the Master of Jean d’Albret. Small Miniatures: f.17, Saint Luke writing before his symbol, the ox (small miniature) [Master of Jean d’Albret]. At the bottom of the page: a scene of woodland life with a deer, a butterfly, and a quadruped.f.19, Saint Matthew writing before his symbol, the angel (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse ?].f.21, Saint Mark writing before his symbol, the lion (small miniature) [Master of Jean d’Albret]. At the bottom of the page: a forest scene with deer, an owl in a tree, and a bird seizing a fly; outer border: wasp (?) and butterfly.f.28, Pietà illustrating the prayer O intemerata (small miniature) [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Right border and bottom of the page: ], with a forest scene in the margins including a quadruped creature and a boar drinking from a stream.f.201r, Trinity (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.201v, Saint Michael (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse]..202v, Saint John the Baptist (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.203r, Saints Peter and Paul (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.203v, Saint Lawrence (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.204v, Saint Nicholas and the miracle of the three children (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.205r, Saint Anne (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.206r, Saint Mary Magdalene (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.206v, Saint Catherine (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.207v, Saint Geneviève (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.208r, Saint Catherine (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse] – Right border and bottom of the page: forest scene, with young boar hiding in the trees; dog pursuing a rabbit.f.208v, Saint Barbara (small miniature) [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse]. – Left border and bottom of the page: forest scene, with bird in a tree and hybrid creature. Large miniatures: f.14v, Birth of Eve [Master of Jean d’Albret] – At the bottom of the page: two birds and a fox.f.15r, Saint John on the island of Patmos [Master of Jean d’Albret]. – At the bottom of the page: scene of rural life, a bird seizing a butterfly, under the eyes of a frog.f.22v, Virgin and Child [Master of Jean d’Albret] – At the bottom of the page: forest scene, with two dogs pursuing a fox (?). – In the initial O, a butterfly.f.27v, Patron of the manuscript, in prayer [Master of the Triumphs of Petrarch]: in the lower margin, supported by two white greyhounds with red collars, a shield left blank.f.31v, Tree of Jesse (large miniature) [Master of Jean d’Albret] – At the bottom of the page: forest scene, with butterfly and frog.f.32r, Annunciation (large miniature) [Master of Jean d’Albret].f.58v, Visitation [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Left border and bottom of the page: forest scene, wild beast and wild man (?) threatening a boar with a stick.f.71v, Nativity [Master of Jean d’Albret]. – Left border and bottom of the page: forest scene, bird, nest in a tree and confrontation between a bird and a boar.f.78r, Announcement to the shepherds [Master of Jean d’Albret].f.83r, Adoration of the Magi [Master of Jean d’Albret].f.87v, Presentation in the Temple [Master of Jean d’Albret].f.92r, Flight into Egypt [Master of Jean d’Albret].f.99v, Coronation of the Virgin [Master of Jean d’Albret].f.105v, The Mystical Pelican nourishing its young [Master of Jean d’Albret (?)] – Left border and bottom of the page: forest scene, with two butterflies.f.106, Crucifixion [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Bottom of the page: forest scene, bird pursuing two frogs and mystical pelican in a tree.f.113v, Pentecost [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Bottom of the page: forest scene, with combat between a butterfly and a bird.f.120v, David and Goliath [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Left border and bottom of the page: forest scene, with bird in a tree; confrontation between a dog and a bird.f.121r, David and Bathsheba [Master of Jean d’Albret].f. 140r, Job [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Left border and bottom of the page: forest scene, with dog hunting a rabbit, a rabbit emerging from its burrow, a bird seizing a snake.f. 192r, Virgin and Child [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse] – Bottom of the page: forest scene, with an owl seizing a field mouse and a bird seizing a fly or insect.f. 197r, Trinity [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Bottom of the page: forest scene, with two birds in a tree and bird of prey attacking rabbit burrows. The manuscript is adorned with a variety of borders. The first type, on a white ground, is reserved for the text and decorates the outer margin of all pages. It is composed of large acanthus leaves in blue and gold surrounded by foliage and flowers in bright colours on red stems on white and gold grounds and enlivened with fantastic creatures (f.18, 20, 23, 30, 128). A second type of border is executed on gold grounds. It adorns almost all the pages with large miniatures, which are placed at the beginning of all large sections of the manuscript. The decoration is composed of red stems, with green leaves, bearing white, pink, red, and blue flowers. From f.32r onward, acanthus leaves and, occasionally, insects, birds and fantastic creatures can be spotted. The third type of border is the most intriguing and adds to the symbolism that permeates the whole manuscript. In the small space that the margins allow, the artists created densely populated forest scenes inhabited by insects, birds, bears, hounds, and fantastical creatures. Gold touches illuminate the foliage like warm sunlight. The borders are treated as if they are the backdrop of large paintings and gives the page an unexpected depth and dimension. But darkness lurks in the depth of the forest as life and death, triumph and defeat meet on the pages when the hunter becomes the prey. We discover a hunting dog catching a pheasant (f.4v), a bird snatching a fish (f.5r), a bird seizing an enormous butterfly (f.15r), a bird of prey devouring a dead songbird (f.8r), and a wild boar being killed (f.13r). A more humorous take on the theme is offered in form of a bird attacking an enormous snail (f.12v). Human presence is seemingly absent in this forest teeming with life. However, we can spot monkeys, which are often interpreted as a stand in for human folly, painted in brown and red their fur heightened with gold, often in comical situations and postures; flushing out an animal hiding behind a tree (f.9r), riding a bear (f.10v), hunting, holding a sparrowhawk in his right paw (f.11v). ff.2r–13v, Parisian calendar, written in French;f.14, blank;ff.15r–22r, Gospel pericopes;ff.22r–26v, Obsecro te (masculine use);ff.28r–30v, O intemerata;ff.30v–104v, Hours of the Virgin, for the use of Paris, matins (ff.30v–58); lauds (ff.58v–71); prime (ff.71v–77v), with antiphon, Benedicta tu and capitulum, Felix namque; terce (ff.78r–82v); sext (ff.83r–87r); none (ff.87v–91r), with antiphon, Sicut lilium and capitulum, Per te dei; vespers (ff.91v–99r); compline (ff.99r–104v);f.105r, blank leaf;ff.105v–113r, Hours of the Cross;ff.113r–119r, Hours of the Holy Spirit;ff.119v–120r, blanks;ff.120v–139v, Penitential Psalms, with litanies (ff.134r–138v);ff.140r–190v, Office of the Dead according to the use of Paris;ff.191r–196v, Prayer to the Virgin: Doulce dame de misericorde, mere de piété, fontaine de tous les biens.ff.197r–201r, Prayer to the Holy Trinity: Doulx Dieu, doul[x] père, sainte Trinité, ung Dieu, beau sire Dieu.ff.201r–209v, Suffrages. De Sancta Trinitate (ff.201r–201v), De sancto Michaele (ff.201v–202r), De sancto Johanne Baptista (ff.202r–202v), De sanctis Petro et Paulo (ff.203r–203v), De sancto Laurencio (ff.203v–204r); De sancto Nicolao (ff.204r–205r), De sancta Anna (ff.205r–205v), De beata Maria Magdalena (ff.205v–206v), De sancta Katherina (ff.206v–207r), De sancta Genovefa (f.207v), De sancta Katherina (ff.208–208v), De sancta Barbe (ff.208v–209v).ff. 210–210v, blank. We thank Arian Adeline for her excellent research of this manuscript. LITERATURE Almond, Richard. Medieval Hunting. Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2003. Briggs, Sarah. “Catherine Caged: Birds in the Margins of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves.” Bowdoin Journal of Art (2015): n.p. Cummins, John. The Hound and the Hawk: The Art of Medieval Hunting. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1988. Delaunay, Isabelle. “Les Heures d’Écouen du Musée national de la Renaissance: Échanges entre manuscrits et imprimés autour de 1500.” Revue du Louvre et des musées de France 43, no. 4 (1993): 11–24. Delaunay, Isabelle. “La production en série dans les livres d’heures parisiens vers 1480–1500.” Rivista d’arte, 5th ser., 7 (2017): 279–290. Delaunay, Isabelle. Échanges artistiques entre livres d’heures manuscrits et imprimés produits à Paris vers 1480–1500. 3 vols. PhD diss., Université Paris IV–Sorbonne, 2000. Oggins, Robin S. The Kings and Their Hawks: Falconry in Medieval England. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. Orth, Myra D. “What Goes Around: Borders and Frames in French Manuscripts.” Journal of the Walters Art Gallery 54 (1996): 1–22. Perdrizet, Paul. Le calendrier parisien à la fin du Moyen Âge d’après le bréviaire et les livres d’heures. Paris: Publications de la Faculté des Lettres de l’Université de Strasbourg, 1933. Randall, Lilian M. C. Images in the Margins of Gothic Manuscripts. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966. Winn, Mary Beth. Antoine Vérard: Parisian Publisher, 1485–1512. Geneva: Droz, 1997. Winn, Mary Beth. “Printing and Reading the Book of Hours: Lessons from the Borders.” Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 81, no. 3 (1999): 177–204. Zöhl, Caroline. Jean Pichore: Buchmaler, Graphiker und Verleger in Paris um 1500. Turnhout: Brepols, 2004.

View 1 of Lot 3: The Pelican Hours, Book of Hours (Use of Paris), in Latin, on vellum, illuminated by the Master of Jean d’Albret, the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse, and the Master of the Triumphs of Petrarch (France, Paris), c.1490–1500

the pelican hours, book of hours (use of paris), in latin, on vellum, illuminated by the master of jean d’albret, the master of the chronique scandaleuse, and the master of the triumphs of petrarch (france, paris), c.1490–1500

(Bible in Latin) Bible in Latin. With additions by Menardus Monachus. Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 6 August 1479 Folio (360 x 256 mm). 468 leaves, large 14-line initial on fol. i illuminated in gilt, other initials in red, blue, and green, early marginalia throughout; first leaf with repair to gutter and margins, also apparent on cognate leaf, closed tears to fol. xi and xii, early gatherings sprung, repair to long closed tear affecting text in fol. xxiii, several leaves misbound, final gathering repaired at gutter, worming mostly to gutter and margins, a few headlines shaved, dampstained with spotting and soiling throughout. Quarter calf over oak boards, spine with raised bands in seven compartments, edges stained blue; extremities rubbed, joints starting. A richly illuminated copy of the fifth Koberger Bible, using St. Jerome's Latin Vulgate text. Koberger, who owned the largest publishing house in Germany at the time, is now best known for his printing of the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. The present work is also the fourth edition to contain Menardus Monachus's summary of the gospels. REFERENCES Bod-inc B-273; Goff B-564; GW 4239; ISTC ib00564000 PROVENANCE Acquired from Lucian Goldschmidt, 19 October 1955 — Alexandre Paul Rosenberg (Picasso-designed bookplate to upper pastedown) — Christie's, 23 April 2021, lot 42

View 1 of Lot 462: (Bible in Latin) | Anton Koberger's fifth bible, 1479

(bible in latin) | anton koberger's fifth bible, 1479

A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book?locale=en&amp;Book%20Subject=Fine%2520bindings" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">finely bound</a> illuminated and leather-bound testimonial for Sir Charles Herries K.C.B., retiring Chairman of the Board of the Inland Revenue.<ul><li>November 1881.</li><li>Folio.</li><li>7 illuminated leaves with floral borders in blue, pink, green, white and gold, and window mounted at the beginning of the volume.</li><li>114 vellum leaves comprising several thousand signatures of tax officers and related civil servants in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, all in double columns with red rules and titled office headings, versos blank throughout.</li><li>All edges gilt, moire silk endpapers, original gilt relief-paneled executed by De La Rue &amp; Co. in red full morocco with gilt monogram and family crest centrepiece laid over green calf.</li></ul> Sir John Charles Herries (1815-1883), a famous financier, was the eldest son of the politician John Charles Herries (1778-1855). He is also possibly related to banker and politician Robert Herries (18th century), the inventor of the circular note (the forerunner of the traveler’s check), whose bank was acquired by Lloyds Bank in 1893. In 1842 Sir Robert Peel made him a commissioner of excise. In 1856 he was chosen by Sir George Cornewall Lewis to occupy the deputy chair of the board of inland revenue, and in 1877 Lord Beaconsfield raised him to the chairmanship. In 1871 he was made C.B., and in 1880 K.C.B. He left the public service in November 1881, ‘and his eminent financial and administrative abilities were acknowledged in a treasury minute, 2 Dec. 1881, and subsequently presented to parliament.’ He died in March 1883.

Illuminated Testimonial for Sir Charles Herries K.C.B.

A fine illuminated miniature <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Qur%27an&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Qur'an</a>, copied by a royal scribe from the court of Fath’Ali Shah Qajar.<ul><li>Produced by Abdullah al-Ranani (Persian).</li><li>Qajar Persia: Dated 1225 AH (1815 AD).&nbsp;</li><li>Illuminated manuscript on polished paper.</li><li>191 leaves plus 3 endpapers (2 at front and 1 at back).</li><li>Arabic text.</li><li>21 lines fine and refined naskh script copied in miniature format, in black, 2 opening leaves of prayers copied in central lobed panels, in red, plus an additional set at the end of the volume, opening two facing pages of the Qur’an with exquisitely fine gilt polychrome decorations to borders, interlinear coloring of gold to every leaf of text, catch-words throughout.</li><li>Housed in fine contemporary gilt lacquered boards, with decorative floral compositions to covers set against a red background and framed within a gold foliate border.</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;An exquisite miniature Qur’an form the early Qajar period.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The copyist Abdullah Ibn Ashoub al-Ranani was a royal scribe in the Court of Fath ‘Ali Shah Qajar (r.1797-1834). Al-Ranani was renowned for his fine naskh script which is exemplified here in a delicate miniature format, which is unusual for this scribe whose other traced Qur’ans have been notably larger in scale.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This Qur’an was produced to the highest possible specification of the period with no expense spared; every single page of the text is illuminated with interlinear coloring of gold, the script is delicate and legible despite its miniature format, and the binding is exemplary: it was undoubtedly commissioned for a member of the Qajar royal family.&nbsp;

Miniature Illuminated Qur'an

Christ, in a large initial, from a manuscript choir book&nbsp;most likely decorated by a Picard <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=illuminated+manuscripts&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">illuminator</a> working in Naples during the Angevin rule, on <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=vellum&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vellum</a>.<ul><li>[Italy (Naples), circa 1325].</li><li>Tall and thin cutting from a manuscript leaf, with large initial ‘I’ enclosing Christ as a standing figure, robed in green and burgundy, with a halo formed from burnished gold with black details, on a dark blue ground with large gold bezants and scrolling white foliage, the foot of the initial trailing off into colored acanthus leaves and a gold bezant, the later inscription “IES[U]” added over Christ’s body at thigh height, the reverse with remains of 3 lines of music in square notation on 4-line red staves (rastrum 49mm), with one line of text in a gothic liturgical script.</li></ul> This is a long-lost cutting from a fascinating Neapolitan choir book, apparently produced by French artists in the Kingdom of Naples during the Angevin rule, connected to King Robert of Anjou or a member of his court. 182 leaves of this choir book now survive in the National Museum in Stockholm. The part now in the National Museum in Stockholm was purchased in Naples in 1857, and saints Francis and Clare are in prominent positions, suggesting that the original parent book was made for the major church of the city, Santa Chiara, or the Franciscan and Clarissan monasteries that are part of the same structure there. While there are two artists’ hands represented in the illumination of the whole choir book, the one here presents as the most skillful and exceptional. The artist blends Italian and French motifs to form a bewildering and enticing hybrid style of medieval art.

Illuminated Christi Miniature

A tiny <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=illuminated+manuscript&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">illuminated manuscript</a> on parchment Book of Hours produced in Paris for the extremely rare south-western French Use of Saintes.<ul><li>Northern France, circa 1470-1480.</li><li>Text in Latin.</li><li>190 leaves on parchment (plus two paper endleaves at front and back).</li><li>16 lines, ruled in red ink, written in very small, dark brown lettre bâtarde, rubrics in red.</li><li>Calendar in red with significant names in blue, line fillers, illuminated initials in red and blue, with gold and white tracery.</li><li>Panel border decoration framing text on outer margin throughout 146 pages, with designs of swirling hairline stems bearing numerous acanthus and ivy leaves, fruits and flowers in blue, green and red, and gold bezants.</li><li>Three large initials measuring 5 lines high, containing white and blue flowers on liquid gold grounds, including illuminated full panel borders on top, bottom and outer margins of text.</li><li>Five large miniatures by Maître François, in arch-toped compartments in same decorative style, including birds, berries and drolleries, above large initials and five lines of text.</li><li>Bound in seventeenth-century French olive-brown morocco with gilt ornamental roundel motifs filled with small dotted tooling around cover borders and spine, some rubbing on raised bands, marbled endleaves, gilt edges.</li></ul> Illumination:Beautifully intricate miniatures painted with extensive liquid gold highlights.(1) fol. 31r, the Annunciation, the Virgin kneeling before Gabriel on the right with a banderole “ave maria gracia”, a green canopy and architectural frame above, gothic windows behind, and border including white flowers, red berries, songbirds and a peacock; (2) fol. 57r, the Nativity, the Child lying on the hem of the Virgin’s robe who kneels with Joseph outside the stable, a donkey and a cow behind, a hill to the right; (3) fol. 64r, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, two shepherds and a shepherdess gazing up as two angels appear in the heavens holding a musical scroll, sheep in the foreground drinking from a spring, a dog asleep, landscape and two towers in the background; (4) fol. 86r, the Coronation of the Virgin, with the Virgin in Heaven kneeling before the Throne of God as an angel leans over a tapestry and places a crown on her head; (5) fol. 98r, David in prayer, kneeling before an open book on a wooden lectern, harp beside him as God appears in the sky above, with a centaur drollery shooting an arrow at a grotesque in the border.

Book Of Hours, Use Of Saintes, In Latin, Illuminated Manuscript On Parchment

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