<p>A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/collectibles/vintage-poster/music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">concert poster</a> for the <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=devo&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Devo</a> performances at the Manoa Campus Center Ballroom at the University of Hawaii on the 1st and 2nd of June, 1979.</p><ul><li>The performances on the 1st of June were canceled.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul>

Devo Concert Poster

Old Master Paintings & Works on Paper Day Auction

Property from the Estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935–2024), Sold Without Reserve

Property from the Estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935–2024), Sold Without Reserve Frederick Waters Watts Bath 1800–1870 Hampstead A view of Littlehempston, near Totnes, Devon oil on canvas unframed: 41.6 x 57.1 cm.; 16⅜ x 22½ in. framed: 55.7 x 71.3 cm.; 21⅞ x 28⅛ in.

View 1 of Lot 396: A View of Littlehempston, near Totnes, Devon

a view of littlehempston, near totnes, devon

Property from an Italian Private Collection

Property from an Italian Private Collection After William Hogarth, circa 1739 Sir Francis Dashwood at His Devotions indistinctly inscribed upper right on the rock: St.Francis oil on paper laid down on canvas unframed: 46.1 x 34.2 cm.; 18⅛ x 13½ in. framed: 62 x 50 cm.; 24⅜ x 19¾ in.

View 1 of Lot 381: Sir Francis Dashwood At His Devotions

sir francis dashwood at his devotions

Property from the Estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935–2024)

Property from the Estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935–2024) James Ward, R.A. London 1769–1859 Cheshunt A prize Devon bull in a landscape signed in monogram and dated lower left: J/W 1802 [?] oil on panel unframed: 45.5 x 61.8 cm.; 17⅞ x 24⅜ in. framed: 63.6 x 79.8 cm.; 25 x 31⅜ in.

View 1 of Lot 388: A prize Devon bull in a landscape

a prize devon bull in a landscape

Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries

Property from the estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935-2024)

Property from the estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935-2024) Francis Towne (﻿Isleworth, Middlesex 1739 - 1816 London) Ivy Bridge, Devon Watercolour over pencil, heightened with pen and grey ink on laid paper; signed and dated lower right: F. Towne / delt 1775, further inscribed on the original mount (now preserved on the reverse of the frame): Ivy Bridge in the County of Devon / drawn on the spot / …. / by / Francis Towne 200 by 325 mm

ivy bridge, devon

Property from the estate of the late Sir Simon Day (1935-2024) Francis Towne (Isleworth, Middlesex 1739 - 1816 London) Werrington Park, Devon, near the Dairy Watercolour over pencil with touches of gum arabic on laid paper; signed verso: Werington [sic] Park near the Dairy / Francis Towne delt 215 by 276 mm

View 1 of Lot 138: Werrington Park, Devon, near the Dairy

werrington park, devon, near the dairy

Books, Manuscripts & Music, from Medieval to Modern

Thomas More The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, sometyme Lorde Chauncellour of England, wrytten by him in the englysh tonge. London: At the costes and charges of John Cawod, John Waly, and Richarde Tottell, 1557. FIRST EDITION, folio (274 x 191 mm), gothic type, title-page within woodcut border [McKerrow and Ferguson 81], woodcut initials, a number of early modern annotations in several hands, eighteenth-century contrasting sprinkled calf, gilt-ruled tan covers, black spine with raised bands in seven compartments, first compartment gilt-tooled with the Devonshire coat of arms, second lettered in gilt, the rest gilt-tooled with foliate motifs, red speckled edges, marbled endpapers, occasional worming, mainly in the final leaves, final leaf repaired and remargined (with minor loss of text), extremities slightly rubbed, joints starting, minor adhesive residue to lower board. THE CHATSWORTH COPY OF THE FIRST COLLECTION EDITION OF THOMAS MORE'S WORKS, A RARE AND IMPORTANT FIRST EDITION. Edited by his nephew William Rastell, the collection presents More's works in chronological order with marginal notes from Rastell. PROVENANCE: Duke of Devonshire: arms on binding, armorial bookplate, and shelfmarks; sold, Christie's, June 1958 LITERATURE: STC 18076; Pforzheimer 843

View 1 of Lot 35: Thomas More | Workes, 1557, eighteenth-century sprinkled calf gilt, the Chatsworth copy

thomas more | workes, 1557, eighteenth-century sprinkled calf gilt, the chatsworth copy

Old Master & 19th Century Paintings and Sculpture Evening Auction

Property of a Gentleman William Hodges, R.A. London 1744–1797 Brixham, Devon View of Vaitepiha Bay, Tahiti initialled and dated, lower right: H. 77 oil on panel unframed: 30.1 x 45.7 cm.; 12 x 18 in. framed: 40.9 x 56.4 cm.; 16⅛ x 22¼ in.

View 1 of Lot 37: View of Vaitepiha Bay, Tahiti

view of vaitepiha bay, tahiti

An illuminated Antiphonal (Sanctorale) on vellum, in Latin, (Italy, Emilia-Romagna?), 1270–1280, 427 × 330 mm; 289 leaves, complete, i-viii10, ix6, x-xiv10, xv2, xvi-xxiv10, xxv12, xxvi10-1 (last blank leaf missing), modern pencil foliation (incorrect from fol.121 onwards, counting 301 leaves), text block 300 × 210 mm, written in a single column in Gothic book hand, 6 lines of musical notation in red ink, with 17th-century additions commencing on fol.289r, numerous initials with filigree penwork alternately in red and blue, 34 floral initials and 17 historiated initials; binding of brown calf over wooden boards dating from the end of the 15th century with triple fillets, repaired, front and back pastedown taken from a 15th-century antiphonal; fol.1 darkened, some pages stained, some pages with tears to the lower margins, pages cockled due to continued use, miniatures in good condition. AN IMPRESSIVE ANTIPHONAL WITH 51 DECORATED INITIALS, INCLUDING 17 INITIALS IN THE PRIMO STILE DA BOLOGNA PROVENANCE This manuscript was presumably made for Dominican use between 1270 and 1280, based on the importance given to St Dominic, who appears in the historiated initials on fols.87r, 89v, and perhaps fol.211r. COMMENTARY This impressive Italian Antiphonal, preserved in a historic binding, contains 51 large initials, including 17 historiated initials in the Primo Stile. With the growing influence of the University of Bologna, the demand for manuscripts in the region increased significantly, attracting artists to the flourishing city. Around 1250, a group of artists became distinguishable through their use of a similar style, now referred to as the Primo Stile da Bologna. This style of illumination represents a confluence of different artistic traditions, including Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine, and demonstrates a preference for portraying frontal figures on bold, colourful grounds. This style marks an early stage in the transition from Romanesque abstraction towards the more naturalistic tendencies of the Trecento, creating human figures with composed expressions and a heightened interest in incorporating narrative detail. This extensively illuminated Antiphonal exemplifies late 13th-century manuscript production in Emilia-Romagna, offering a regional interpretation of the Primo Stile. St Dominic features twice, potentially three times, among the historiated initials, making it likely that the manuscript is a result of the industrious book production of a Dominican monastery in the Emilia-Romagna region. The Dominican Order, founded at the beginning of the century, rapidly established houses across Italy, all requiring liturgical books, thereby accelerating manuscript production. The text of the Antiphonal covers the liturgical year from 1 August to Advent. Antiphonals are typically divided into two parts, the Sanctorale and the Temporale. A Sanctorale contains the feasts of saints arranged according to the calendar year, in contrast to the Temporale, which follows the movable cycle of feasts which is dependent on Easter. The present manuscript includes the celebrations, chants, readings, and prayers assigned to individual saints’ days, typically fixed to specific dates, for example 8 August for St Dominic. The Sanctorale reflects local devotion and regional identity through the selection and prominence of particular saints. The manuscript remained in active use within its community as late as the 17th century, as evidenced by later additions commencing on fol.289r. While many sizeable liturgical manuscripts were pilfered by bookbinders — who reused parchment leaves to support bindings or create book covers — this manuscript survived intact. Its survival is not simply a matter of chance, but the result of its active use until the 17th century. This protected the manuscript from a dire fate and underlines the importance and precious nature of the manuscript for its congregation. The artist employed a warm palette, featuring a wide range of pinks, reds, greys, and beige tones, which are offset by deep blue grounds decorated with fine white tracings. Floral and geometric patterns, as well as intertwining vines, fill the spaces within the initials. The 51 initials bear a strong stylistic resemblance to the work of the Master of Imola, who created a series of choirbooks for the Cathedral of Imola shortly after its completion and consecration. The Master of Imola was an anonymous illuminator active in Emilia–Romagna (northern Italy) around c.1260–1275, and part of the earliest generation of artists responsible for the monumental decoration of liturgical manuscripts in the region. The compositions created by our illuminator for the present manuscript reveal a close familiarity with the work of leading Bolognese workshops, suggesting that the artist was active in one of the neighbouring regions of Emilia–Romagna or Lombardy. The initials are: 1. fol.40r, Initial V: Christ blessing and a prophet 2. fol.87r, Initial G: St Dominic 3. fol.89v, Initial M: The miracle of St Dominic carrying the Lateran 4. fol.105v, Initial L: St Lawrence 5. fol.125r, Initial V: The Virgin with two angels 6. fol.142v, Initial I: St Augustine 7. fol.167v, Initial H: The Virgin and Child (accompanying the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin) 8. fol.181v, Initial D: The Crucifixion 9. fol.194r, Initial D: St Michael playing the cornet 10. fol.195v, Initial F: St Michael 11. fol.211r, Initial S: Christ, the Virgin, and St John with monastic saints 12. fol.231v, Initial C: The Mass for the Dead 13. fol.245v, Initial H: St Martin 14. fol.262r, Initial C: St Cecilia 15. fol.275v, Initial O: St Clement 16. fol.279r, Initial O: St Clement 17. fol.282r, Initial N: St Catherine of Alexandria Forming an essential component to celebrating the Divine Office, the manuscript was cherished and actively used by its community for centuries following its creation. This reveals the appreciation for the craftsmanship and visual appeal that the manuscript holds. LITERATURE Battistini, Silvia. “Corali miniati di Faenza, Bagnacavallo e Cotignola.” In Corali miniati di Faenza, Bagnacavallo e Cotignola: Tesori dalla Diocesi, edited by Fabrizio Lollini, 169–170. Faenza: Diocesi di Faenza, 2000. Bologna, Ferdinando. I miniatori a Bologna nel Duecento e Trecento. Turin: Einaudi, 1969. Conti, Alessandro. La miniatura bolognese: Scuole e botteghe, 1270–1340. Bologna: Edizioni Alfa, 1981. Conti, Alessandro. “Miniatura bolognese del Duecento: Problemi di stile e cronologia.” Arte antica e moderna 18 (1962): 123–145. Faranda, Franco, ed. Cor unum et anima una: Corali miniati della Chiesa di Imola. Faenza: Edit Faenza, 1994. Labriola, Ada. “Miniature a Brera 1100–1422.” In Miniature a Brera 1100–1422, edited by Miklós Boskovits, 104–107. Milan: Electa, 1997. Lollini, Fabrizio. “Cor unum et anima una.” In Cor unum et anima una: Corali miniati della Chiesa di Imola, edited by Franco Faranda, 178–180. Faenza: Edit Faenza, 1994. Medica, Massimo. “La miniatura a Bologna nel Duecento.” In Duecento: Forme e colori del Medioevo a Bologna, edited by Massimo Medica and Stefano Tumidei, 35–57. Venice: Marsilio, 2000. Medica, Massimo, ed., with Stefano Tumidei. Duecento: Forme e colori del Medioevo a Bologna. Exhibition catalogue. Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna, 15 April–16 July 2000. Venice: Marsilio, 2000. Rouse, Richard H. “The Production of Law Books in Bologna and Modena.” In La production du livre universitaire au Moyen Âge: Exemplar et pecia, edited by Louis Jacques Bataillon, Bertrand G. Guyot, and Richard H. Rouse, 221–236. Paris: CNRS, 1988. Zeileis, Friedrich G. Più ridon le carte. 3rd ed. Rauris: Zeileis, 2014.

View 1 of Lot 2: Illuminated Antiphonal (Sanctorale), on vellum,  in Latin, (Italy, Emilia-Romagna?), 1270–1275 

illuminated antiphonal (sanctorale), on vellum, in latin, (italy, emilia-romagna?), 1270–1275

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

Charles Dickens Pictures from Italy. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846 FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ON THE HALF-TITLE in brown ink: "The | Countess of Blessington. | From her Friend | Charles Dickens | Devonshire Terrace | Nineteenth May 1846.", small 8vo (175 x 113 mm), 4 woodcuts after Samuel Palmer, advertisement leaves at beginning and end, original blue fine-diaper cloth, covers decorated in blind with arabesque designs in corners and central circular designs, spine lettered in gilt, pale yellow endpapers, housed in a modern bespoke silk-lined brown morocco folding case by Root, London, hinges cracked A SUPERB PRESENTATION COPY, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY DICKENS ON THE DAY AFTER PUBLICATION TO HIS FRIEND LADY BLESSINGTON. This book was sent simultaneously with another presentation copy inscribed to Lady Blessington's lover (and Dickens's close friend) Count D'Orsay, as is recorded in the author's letter to Lady Blessington of the same date: "...I have been every day expecting to be able to send you the enclosed little Volume, and could get no copies until last night... Count d'Orsay's copy of the 'Pictures'. with my cordial remembrance and regard..." (Letters, volume 4, p. 548). Bradbury and Evans's accounts record 25 presentation copies in all. The copy inscribed to Count D'Orsay was offered in these rooms as part of the Lawrence Drizen Collection, 24 September 2019, lot 127. Eight of these sketches originally appeared in The Daily News from 21 January to 11 March 1846; Dickens amended and added to them for this book publication. PROVENANCE: Presented by the author to Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789–1849) on 19 May 1846, presentation inscription to half-title and bookplate of Lady Blessington; sale, Christie's New York, 15 December 1995, lot 12 LITERATURE: Smith II: 7; Eckel p. 126

View 1 of Lot 49: Charles Dickens | Pictures from Italy, London, 1846, first edition, warmly inscribed by the author to Lady Blessington the day after publication

charles dickens | pictures from italy, london, 1846, first edition, warmly inscribed by the author to lady blessington the day after publication

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

Property of a Gentleman William Hodges, R.A. London 1744–1797 Brixham, Devon View of Owharre [Fare] Harbour, Huahine initialled and dated, lower left: H. 77 oil on panel unframed: 30.2 x 45.7 cm.; 12 x 18 in. framed: 40.6 x 56.3 cm.; 16 x 22⅛ in.

View 1 of Lot 38: View of Owharre [Fare] Harbour, Huahine

view of owharre [fare] harbour, huahine

An illuminated cutting showing a group of ten men at prayer, by Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna

An illuminated cutting showing a group of ten men at prayer, by Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna on vellum, (Italy, Bologna), c.1370, 110 × 90 mm; an illuminated cutting of the lower part of a large initial, ten male figures of various ages are shown at prayer, their gazes lifted to heaven, depicted by the artist using different perspectives; most of the men are dressed in beige, green, and blue hues accentuated by red headdresses; in foreground to the right a Canon Regular is depicted; miniature cut close so that nothing distracts from the group at prayer, slight cracking of paint, red underpaint visible revealing the artist’s approach to painting the scene; red pigment rubbed in places but colour quality is strong and vibrant. PROVENANCE Likely excised from an Antiphonal illuminated for the Chiesa di San Giacomo Maggiore by Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna and his collaborator Stefano di Alberto Azzi. The miniature was likely part of a series of choirbooks created under the priorate of Andrea Artusi (1368–71) on the behest of Domenico II Isolani, a member of a prominent Bolognese family of silk merchants and patron of the arts. The manuscript survived the Napoleonic occupation of the 1790s as the friars hid it when the monastery was suppressed and the Augustinian community expelled. While the community returned in 1824, they left for good in 1860, when an important law change was enacted in the Kingdom of Italy, the leggi eversive, which curtailed the immense power and wealth of the Catholic Church. The manuscripts were only rediscovered by pure chance in 1885 and the manuscripts are still recorded at the monastery in 1866 before many of them were illegally sold by the Augustinian friar Luigi Mazzoni, who was accused of cutting out and selling the miniatures. 73 of the cut-out miniatures and 15 choirbooks were then transferred to the Municipality of Bologna on 23 July 1887.France, private collection.Switzerland, private collection.Private collection. A PRECIOUS SCENE OF UTMOST DEVOTION ILLUMINATED BY NICCOLO DI GIACOMO DA BOLOGNA COMMENTARY This intriguing initial reveals a fascinating tale of endurance and defiance, with the manuscript surviving the Napoleonic invasion of the Italian Kingdom unscathed, hidden by the community of Augustinians who had lived, prayed, and served at San Giacomo Maggiore for centuries. The miniature was created by one of Bologna’s leading artists of the 14th century. Active between 1349 and 1403, Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna’s works are characterised by his expressively modelled figures and densely populated narrative scenes, which is exemplified in the miniature before us. His prolific workshop illuminated a wide range of manuscripts; one of his first signed works are copies of the Decretum Gratiani, the central compilation and textbook of canon law, created for the University of Bologna, one of the driving forces of the high demand for illuminated manuscripts in the region. The artist and his workshop were commissioned to illuminate a variety of manuscripts; besides texts for the use at university, this included high-profile devotional books but also secular works and guild registers (Getty Museum, Ms. 82) and statutes for various bodies in the city of Bologna. His success as an artist is codified in his appointment as illuminator to the city in the 1380s, which he served as a member of the city administration and government as well. With his death in 1403, he left his son Onofrio with an impressive workshop and the region of Bologna with a highly influential artistic legacy. The scene is set within a beige initial; its stems can be seen gently curving around the group. These remnants are likely the legs of a double-storey A or H with the original composition being constructed in two parts. If the initial was indeed a letter A, the miniature might have introduced the matins response for the first Sunday in Advent, which was known as Aspiciens a longe Sunday, as it contained the first chant of the Christian liturgical year that was sung with the Schola Cantorum. In this case, the lower part, which is formed by our cutting, depicts a group of praying men and the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, while the upper part would have contained a depiction of Christ in Majesty. The iconography as well as the surrounding text would have referred to the prophecy of Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ Aspiciens a longe, ecce, video potentiam (Long had I been watching. Behold, now do I see God coming in power as in a cloud of light, ). The faces of the men are modelled diligently and with great detail, with the artist striving to create a dynamic and diverse group using different angles and perspectives to render the angular faces. Fine layers of colour and brushstrokes that are reminiscent of fine hatchings give the faces plasticity. Yet, the overall depiction of the group diverges from the expected iconography, as the potential figure of the prophet Isaiah does not hold a scroll containing the prophecy. The praying men could also be interpreted as God’s people praising the Lord after the arrival of the Saviour. By depicting a diverse group, showcasing differing ages and origins through the variety of the headdresses, the artist visualises the omnipresence and omnipotence of God. Noteworthy is the presence of the figure in the right foreground in black and white, a Canon Regular, an ordained priest living under the Rule of Saint Augustine. The presence of this figure hints at a possible origin of the miniature. The miniature might once have been part of a set of choirbooks belonging to the Bolognese Canons Regular in San Giacomo Maggiore. Commissioned by Domenico II Isolani, Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna and his collaborator and rival, Stefano di Alberto Azzi, created a series of lavish choirbooks, as evidenced by the testament of Domenico. The Isolani family wished to be buried in the church of the Bolognese Canons Regular and hoped to secure this privilege through a very generous commission in favour of the foundation. The Museo Civico Medievale now houses the 15 choirbooks from the monastery of San Giacomo Maggiore. Massimo Medica (Medica 2002) noted that the miniature for the first Sunday of Advent is missing from the antiphonal covering the liturgy from First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve, which would also have encompassed our initial. The manuscript, MS 609, is now held in Bologna at the Museo Civico Medievale. His research suggests that our initial A could be identified with the now lost initial from fol.5r. This would date our miniature to the late 1360s. Our miniature exhibits great similarities to an initial from ms 1409, fol.179r, with a similar two-part composition (cf. Alessandri 2003, p.41). We kindly thank Prof. Dr. Gaudenz Freuler for his expertise. LITERATURE Alessandri, Vania. “I corali di San Giacomo Maggiore.” Kermes: La rivista del restauro, no. 52 (October–December 2003): 37–46. Benevolo, Giancarlo, and Massimo Medica, eds. I corali di San Giacomo Maggiore: Miniatori e committenti a Bologna nel Trecento. Exhibition catalogue. Bologna: Museo Civico Medievale, 2002. Medica, Massimo. “I miniatori dei corali agostiniani: Nicolò di Giacomo e Stefano di Alberto Azzi.” In I corali di San Giacomo Maggiore: Miniatori e committenti a Bologna nel Trecento, edited by Giancarlo Benevolo and Massimo Medica, 63–107. Bologna: Museo Civico Medievale, 2002.

View 1 of Lot 10: An illuminated cutting showing a group of ten men at prayer, by Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna, on vellum, (Italy, Bologna), c.1370

an illuminated cutting showing a group of ten men at prayer, by niccolò di giacomo da bologna, on vellum, (italy, bologna), c.1370

Arthur Conan Doyle The Hound of the Baskervilles. London: George Newnes, 1902 FIRST EDITION, 8vo (182 x 122 mm), 15 plates by Paget (only, of 16: lacking plate after p. 322), publisher's red cloth with gilt titles and decoration to spine and upper cover, stylised black hound to upper cover, plates after pp. 260 and 310 becoming detached and plate after p. 318 slightly creased, minor loss to lower corner of upper board, extremities slightly bumped "Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound." FIRST EDITION OF PERHAPS THE MOST CELEBRATED AND BEST-LOVED CRIME NOVEL OF ALL TIME. Inspired by Bertram Fletcher Robinson (Daily Express correspondent during the Boer War), with whom Doyle struck up a friendship when travelling back on the same ship from Cape Town. On a golfing holiday in 1901 Robinson mentioned the legend of the Black Hound of Hergest associated with the Vaughan family of Hergest Court in Herefordshire. Doyle subsequently re-located his version of the story, with Sherlock Holmes as the main protagonist, to Dartmoor in Devon, Robinson's native county. Doyle wrote to his mother on 2 April 1901: "Robinson and I are exploring the moor over our Sherlock Holmes book. I think it will work out splendidly... Holmes is at his very best, and it is a highly dramatic idea". PROVENANCE: Traces of erased contemporary ownership inscription to front free endpaper LITERATURE: Cooper & Pike, Detective Fiction, pp. 115–119; Green & Gibson A26a

View 1 of Lot 50: Arthur Conan Doyle | The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1902, first edition of perhaps the best-loved crime novel of all time

arthur conan doyle | the hound of the baskervilles, 1902, first edition of perhaps the best-loved crime novel of all time

The Pelican Hours, Book of Hours (Use of Paris)

The Pelican Hours, Book of Hours (Use of Paris) on vellum, in Latin, 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, 115 × 165 mm; 211 leaves (f.1 is a numbered blank and f.210 an unnumbered blank), complete, 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, 16 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 WITH MARVELLOUS MARGINS, MADE FOR A FEMALE OWNER. 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.61r) 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.106r), and the butterfly (ff.15r, 17r, 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 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. Juxtaposing is the pathos are two frolicking butterflies included 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, 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). Through its mise-en-page the manuscript is also 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 allowed 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 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, and 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 fantastical beast.f.19, Saint Matthew writing before his symbol, the angel [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse(?)].f.21, Saint Mark writing before his symbol, the lion [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 [Master of Jean d’Albret] – Right border and bottom of the page: ], with a forest scene in the margins including a fantastic creature and a boar drinking from a stream.f.201r, Trinity [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.201v, Saint Michael [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse]..202v, Saint John the Baptist [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.203r, Saints Peter and Paul [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.203v, Saint Lawrence [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.204v, Saint Nicholas and the miracle of the three children [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.205r, Saint Anne [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.206r, Saint Mary Magdalene [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.206v, Saint Catherine [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.207v, Saint Geneviève [Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse].f.208r, Saint Catherine [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 [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 blank shield.f.31v, Tree of Jesse [Master of Jean d’Albret] – At the bottom of the page: forest scene, with butterfly and frog.f.32r, Annunciation [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 which 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, interpreted as a stand in for human folly, painted in brown and red, their fur heightened with gold. The monkeys are often depicted 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 Ariane 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 4: 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

An illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours depicting the Adoration of the Magi created by Hans Traut

An illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours depicting the Adoration of the Magi created by Hans Traut on vellum, (Germany, Nuremberg), c.1500–1525, 125 × 93mm; set within an intricate trompe-l'œil frame consisting of two gothic spires and arches above two male figures (prophets?) on pillars in a Greco-Roman imitation style, complemented at the head and the foot of the page by banderols, at the top of the frame the banderol is held by an angel while the banderol at the foot is intertwined with the unfurling vine of a pomegranate, in the left corner a table with a bowl of porridge, crowned-headdress, sceptre, and gift of the first magi, at the centre of the composition is the Christ child, framed by the figure of his mother who is seated in front of a red and gold brocade textile screen, to her left stands Joseph hat in hand looking at the crowd gathered in front of him while Mary looks pensively down at the child on her lap, the three Kings to the right of the composition, Caspar and Melchior, both clothed in luxurious garments kneeling in front of the Christ child, Balthasar still standing, looking as if he has just joined the scene, next to the brocade screen a donkey and a an ox are visible, behind a crowd of curious onlookers has gathered, in the far background the city of Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity and just above the heads of the onlookers the entourage of the three magi is slowly making their way towards the holy family; verso blank, except for a modern inscription Mad craufurd; minute loss of pigment to middle part of the frame on the right and the hem of the blue garb of the Virgin, edges of parchment darkened and minor cockling otherwise outstanding condition with bright and saturated colours. A MAGNIFICENT AND INNOVATIVE DEPICTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY BY ONE OF NUREMBERG’S LEADING ARTISTS, HANS TRAUT PROVENANCE 1. Created likely by Hans Traut an atelier in Nuremberg at the beginning of the 16th century. 2. Note on verso: Mad craufurd in a late 18th or 19th century hand provides a potentially hint to an earlier owner. The Craufurd family (also spelled Crawford) is a historic Scottish Lowland family, traditionally descending from Thorlongus, a 10th-century Danish chief. With roots in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, they held significant lands and were closely aligned with William Wallace through marriage. The Houison-Craufurd branch still occupies their ancestral Craufurdland Castle in Ayrshire, which they have held for over 800 years. 3. Collection of Horace Hennion, Keeper of the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Tours between 1920 and 1947. COMMENTARY Surrounded by a golden frame is a beautiful scene: the three Magi paying homage to the just born Christ Child and his mother. The Virgin is depicted seated in front of a rich red brocade screen embroidered with gold, which forms an opulent backdrop. The Christ Child in her lap is beautifully framed by the folds of her vibrant blue dress. She is flanked by her husband Joseph. Two Kings, Melchior and Kaspar, are kneeling in front of her, their hands raised in joy, their eyes lifted admiringly to the babe in her lap. One of them kneels so close to the Virgin, that the Christ child would only have to stretch out its little plump fist to grasp the beard of the closest king, whose features are rendered with incredible detail showing each line of his face and each individual hair. King Balthasar, by contrast, stands slightly apart, as if he had just arrived, introducing a subtle sense of movement and adding a dynamic element to the otherwise compact and intimate arrangement. The artist masterfully depicts the sumptuous brocade fabrics and finery worn by the kings that contrasts with the restrained blues of Mary and Joseph’s garbs. Next to the Holy Family is a table covered with a bright white cloth on which we find, alongside a king’s headdress and gift, a modest bowl of gruel or porridge for the child, capturing the contrast between richness and humility. The encounter is set within a wide and atmospheric landscape framed by a ruin, a setting characteristic of Dutch and Flemish panel painting. A stone wall separates the intimate scene in the foreground from a group of onlookers, creating a clear distinction between sacred space and the wider world beyond. In the distance, an airy cityscape — likely Bethlehem with the Church of the Nativity — provides additional narrative detail. Further enlivening the background, the retinue of the kings’ approaches on horses and camels, their banners streaming in the wind. The entourage announces their arrival by fanfares underlining the grandeur and status of the three magi. The composition is an intriguing choice, presenting a close-up view of the Holy Family more typical of Flemish panel painting of the sixteenth century. Yet, this miniature is very likely the work of Hans Traut, who led a successful workshop in Nuremberg in the later decades of the 15th century. Following Freuler in his upcoming publication, the attribution to Traut can be sustained, among other aspects, due to the specific rendering of the Virgin’s hair which is portrayed as very fine and thins towards the ends. Traut also had a penchant for depicting his older male figures with reddish complexions, while in general his figures possess compact bodies and larger heads. One of the most distinctive features, Freuler notes, are the elongated, slim and bony fingers that the figures in our miniature exhibit. It is possible that Traut might have collaborated with Dürer in the early 16th century, as a drawing of St Sebastian (H62/B 148, Erlangen, University Library) by Traut can be allocated in the possession of Dürer, who inscribed the drawing in his own hand and attributed it to Hans Traut. Traut’s sophisticated and elegant style is marked by a distinctly Flemish approach, including the naturalism of his paintings and an overall brighter palette. This composition demonstrates that the illuminator follows the artistic conventions of Flanders, with Bruges and Ghent as the principal centres of artistic production and shows particular indebtedness to the works of Rogier van der Weyden. At the same time, the dramatic close-up represents an innovative approach, first introduced by Simon Marmion (c.1425–1489) during the late 1470s, and here developed further into a dense composition. The arrangement of the scene, combined with the close-up perspective, firmly situates the miniature at the turning point of the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, making it likely that the illuminator’s period of activity extended from the last quarter of the fifteenth into the early sixteenth century. Additionally, the depiction of one king as Black marks a departure from earlier medieval conventions that rendered all three Magi as light skinned and in identical guise. This new artistic convention instead emphasised the global reach of Christianity and reflected a rising interest in exoticism. This interest, closely tied to luxury goods, would have resonated with elite patrons who valued precious commodities such as silks, gemstones, and spices that made the perilous journey from the East. The miniature at hand merges traditional elements with innovative tendencies: the compositional arrangement of a central core group surrounded by a larger group recalls engravings by Martin Schongauer (c.1470–1475), whose prints circulated widely across Northern Europe and were adapted by both panel painters and illuminators alike. Traut potentially drew on Schongauer’s compositional model, but introduced a distinctly modernising interpretation, using a close-up viewpoint that renders the figures in half-length and filling otherwise vacant spaces with a densely arranged group of onlookers. In this way, the miniature reveals the artist’s familiarity with both established iconography and innovative tendencies, which result in a compelling interpretation of a highly popular subject. The frame of the miniature is reminiscent of printed Books of Hours produced in Paris, incorporating architectural elements encompassing the figures of two prophets(?), as well as banderols at the head and foot of the page. Gold is used to heighten the details and to underline the trompe d’œil effect of the frame. It is possible that this leaf was never part of a bound manuscript but rather functioned as a standalone devotional painting, a format known from the works of Simon Bening, who produced comparable series of independent miniatures, such as the group of sixty-four images associated with the so-called Stein Quadriptych (Baltimore, Walters Art Museum, W. 442). The miniature is a beautiful work of art that incorporates new artistic developments and represents a highpoint of German manuscript illumination, heavily influenced by Flemish tendencies. We thank Prof. Dr. Freuler for providing us with access to his upcoming publication and his insights. LITERATURE Brinkmann, Bodo. Die flämische Buchmalerei am Ende des Burgunderreichs. Turnhout: Brepols, 1997. Freuler, Gaudenz. Upcoming: “Illuminated Cuttings at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg: Case Studies and International Research Opportunities”, paper presented at the conference “Illuminated Cuttings” on 29 April 2024. The corresponding article will be published this October 2026. Georgi, Katharina. Illuminierte Gebetbücher aus dem Umkreis der Nürnberger Pleydenwurff-Wohlgemut-Werkstatt, Petersberg 2013. Kren, Thomas, and Scot McKendrick, eds. Illuminating the Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. Lata, Sabine. Wolf Traut als Maler. Nuremberg: Stadtarchiv Nuremberg, 2005. Smeyers, Maurits. Flemish Miniatures from the 8th to the Mid-16th Century. Leuven: Peeters, 1999.

View 1 of Lot 15: An illuminated leaf from a Book of Hours depicting the Adoration of the Magi created by Hans Traut, on vellum, (Germany, Nuremberg), c.1500–1525 

an illuminated leaf from a book of hours depicting the adoration of the magi created by hans traut, on vellum, (germany, nuremberg), c.1500–1525

William Byrd—[William Cecil, Lord Burghley]

William Byrd—[William Cecil, Lord Burghley] The copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza […] declaring the state of England [...] whereunto are adioyned certaine late Advertisements, concerning losses and distresses happened to the Spanish Nauie. London: J. Vautrollier for Richard Field, 1588. 4to (185 x 130mm), WITH THE OWNERSHIP INSCRIPTION OF THE COMPOSER WILLIAM BYRD ON THE TITLE-PAGE ("Wm Byrde"), also with a letter ("q") in an Elizabethan hand marking its original place in a sammelband volume, later foliation (fols 469-498), library binding by Lloyds of London of grey boards with printed spine label, library ink stamp ("Notts County Library Withdrawn Stock") to front paste-down, printed marginalia trimmed, adhesive remains from removed bookplates to paste-downs “…For Motets and musick of piety and devotion, as well as for the honour of our Nation, as the merit of the man, I prefer above all our Phoenix M[aster] William Byrd, whom in that kind, I know not whether any may equall, I am sure none excel…” (Henry Peacham) AN EXCEPTIONAL RARITY: A BOOK WITH THE OWNERSHIP INSCRIPTION OF WILLIAM BYRD, ONE OF THE GREATEST COMPOSERS OF THE RENAISSANCE AND OFTEN CONSIDERED THE FATHER OF ENGLISH MUSIC. Byrd’s autograph is of exceptional rarity: the only auction record that we have found is a document signed that was sold in these rooms in 1954. Only a tiny handful of signed documents and letters are known in institutional collections, chiefly the National Archives, and none of his music survives in autograph. Other than these documents, the only known autograph material of any kind are his ownership inscriptions in a small number of books (ten such signatures are known), which are overwhelmingly to be found in institutional libraries. Not only does this book contain an otherwise unobtainable autograph, but Byrd’s ownership of this work provides a fascinating insight into his complicated religious and political milieu. The copie of a letter is a piece of political propaganda believed to be the work of Lord Burghley, purporting to be a letter found in the chambers of a priest who was subsequently executed for High Treason, which describes the defeat of the Spanish in the Channel and the subsequent dreadful losses suffered by the Armada off the coast of Ireland. Byrd’s ownership of a contemporary report on the defeat of the Armada is particularly significant as he was a committed Roman Catholic who nonetheless flourished at the Elizabethan court. This tension led to extraordinary contradictions: he was a man who was personally known to Queen Elizabeth, but who also undertook clandestine musical performances for Jesuits including Henry Garnet, who was later executed for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot. Byrd was employed for decades at the Chapel Royal and was granted a number of privileges by the Queen including, with Thomas Tallis, a monopoly on printing music in England. He dedicated his printed works, many of which had obvious Catholic overtones, to leading courtiers, and had a succession of powerful Catholic patrons who ensured that he could practice his religion more or less openly (he was a known recusant from the 1580s onwards) without suffering crippling fines or imprisonment. Byrd was protected by the privilege of genius, but anyone who remained loyal to the old faith in Elizabethan England found themselves navigating conflicted allegiances. Neither the Papacy nor the English Protestant establishment made it easy to remain loyal to both the Roman Catholic church and the Tudor monarchy. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that most of the surviving books that belonged to Byrd touch on religious controversy and the deepening political fissure between Protestant and Catholic that was fracturing Europe. The current work provides a contemporary account of an important moment in that conflict, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, which also helped to forge England’s distinctively Protestant identity. This book was once part of a volume of political tracts published in 1588-90. Six other works that were once in this volume are known: all have Byrd’s identical signature on the title-page (usually written, as here, around the woodcut ornament) and a letter showing its place in the volume. The tract that was the first work in the volume is also signed by “Christopher Byrd”, the name of William Byrd’s eldest son, so the volume evidently remained in the family for some time. PROVENANCE: Notts County Library (withdrawn stamp); Bloomsbury, 24 November 2005, lot 553 (not recording Byrd's ownership inscription) LITERATURE: ESTC S2172; STC 15413.5; Kerry McCarthy and John Harley, 'From the Library of William Byrd', The Musical Times, vol. 150, no. 1909 (2009), 17-30 (containing mention of this copy)

View 1 of Lot 24: William Byrd—[Lord Burghley] | The Copie of a Letter Sent Out of England, 1588, Byrd's inscribed copy

william byrd—[lord burghley] | the copie of a letter sent out of england, 1588, byrd's inscribed copy

Illuminated Ferial Psalter on vellum, in Latin, German (perhaps Diocese of Trier), c.1250–70, after 1233 (Translation of St Dominic in calendar), 139 × 200 mm; modern pencil foliation in upper right corner, 138 leaves, textually incomplete, last quire containing the Litany lacking leaves, i6 (paste down bound in leading to stub in first quire. The inserted leaf is from a different manuscript due to script orientation and layout), ii8 (collation uncertain, possible quire of 6 with 2 leaves added at end), iii8+1, iv8, v11 (quire of 10, 3rd leaf inserted), vi–viii8, ix6, x8 (second leaf inserted), xi8, xii10 (collation uncertain), xiii8, xiv10, xv6, xvi–xvii8 (back paste down bound into quire, leaving a stub before the first leaf); written in a Littera praegothica with multiple (later) additions and annotations in different hands; calendar (complete) with red KL-initials at the head of each page and small initials for important feast days in red or blue, numbers of days given in red, names of saints, martyrs, popes, and virgin saints written in either dark brown or a lighter brown ink; calendar adjusted and corrected to account for different preferences (e.g. fol.2), original text in places erased and amended, musical notation added in the margins on several occasions; one almost full-page ‘Beatus Vir’ initial filled with geometric designs, 9 large gold initials, 159 three-line high red and blue puzzle initials extending into the margins, red and blue one-line initials throughout, an ink drawing of a cockerel in the margins on fol.111v; manuscript in a 15th-century monastic binding with leather thongs laced into wooden boards, blind-stamped covers with agnus dei and a pelican piercing its breast as well as floral decorative stamps, on the back a winged lion(?) and charming floral stamps, decorated leather straps for closure (lower strap sympathetically replaced), one metal pin for closure extant on the upper board, upper board detached (cataloguing updated 25/06/26, to reflect that the board is currently detached); vellum slightly darkened (first and last leaves particularly affected), text occasionally smudged and faded, staining in the margins and darkening towards the gutter. PROVENANCE 1. Based on the calendar, the manuscript was likely written for a diocese in western Germany, potentially Trier, as it includes the feast of the Translation of St Castor (from the Lower Moselle region to the city of Koblenz). 2. New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, sale 29 November 1948, lot 319. 3. By descent to the current owner. A GERMAN PSALTER WITH TEN GOLD INITIALS, NUMEROUS ANNOTATIONS, AND NEUMES, PRESERVED IN A 15TH-CENTURY BINDING WITH CLASPS COMMENTARY The Psalter was one of the most important devotional books of the Middle Ages before the advent of the Book of Hours. In addition to containing the 150 Psalms, these manuscripts often featured additional texts and prayers, such as the Pater Noster, the Athanasian Creed, and regionally relevant liturgies or suffrages. The manuscript at hand contains the following texts: 1. Calendar, fols.1r–6v 2. Psalms, fols.7r–126v 3. Canticle of Isaiah, fols.126v–136r 4. Pater Noster, fol.136r 5. Symbolum Apostolicum, fols.136r–136v 6. Athanasian Creed, fols.136v–138r 7. Beginning of the Litany, fol.138v Due to their poetic structure, the Psalms possess an inherent lyrical quality, which makes them perfectly suited to be sung as part of communal worship. The chanting of the Psalms during the weekly cycle of worship lay at the heart of monastic life and the Divine Office. The Psalter quickly became the standard medieval service book, used by monastic foundations and private individuals in their devotional practices. In addition to the Psalms, the manuscript includes the Canticle of Isaiah, beginning with Confitebor tibi, Domine (I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, Isaiah 12:1–6). This is a short hymn offering thanks and forming part of Lauds in the Divine Office, which was recited during the hours of dawn. The hymn held a prominent position and emphasised themes of renewal and light at the start of the day. Based on the calendar, and its inclusion of St Castor on 13 February, it is likely that the manuscript was created for a diocese in western Germany along the Moselle, possibly the Diocese of Trier and the city of Koblenz. The manuscript contains ten gold initials of gold leaf executed on blue grounds. The ‘Beatus Vir’ initial introducing the Psalms is the most elaborate and grandest and is filled with intertwining geometric designs typical of the late Romanesque period. The gold initials are accompanied by uncial letters in red and blue used for the opening lines of the Psalms. The manuscript further encompasses 159 red and blue initials, whose extenders often run almost the full length of the page. Feathery line-fillers can be found throughout the manuscript. A later owner added a small number of large red puzzle initials to further embellish the manuscript. On fol.111v there is a small drawing of a cockerel, an animal associated with Christ’s Passion that was frequently included in representations of the Arma Christi, the instruments of Christ’s passion. Based on its precious initials and mobile, handheld format, the Psalter was very likely intended for a higher-ranking member of the clergy or nobility. The manuscript contains numerous marginal annotations in different later hands. This is also visible in the calendar which seemingly underwent multiple campaigns of adjustment, as readers added saints and martyrs more relevant to them as well as explanatory notes. These annotations assisted the reader in navigating the Psalter, while the extant red leather tabs served as aids to locating specific sections. Instances of palimpsest occur, for example on fols.57r, 69v, and 70r, where later users altered the text to reflect changing liturgical needs. Among the marginal additions, the musical notation is of particular interest with neumes having been added to a large number of folios (e.g. fols.54v, 58r, 60r, 62r, 63v, 66r, 68r, 69r, 73r, 73v, 75r, 76r, 77r, 78r, 81r, 84v, 86v, 87r, 87v, 89v, 91v, 93r, 94v, 96v, 98v), suggesting that a later user adapted the manuscript for their specific practical liturgical use by adding the incipits of the Psalms in musical notation. This Psalter was a cherished possession, likely handed down over multiple generations, as evidenced by the flurry of annotations by later owners. Its many marginal additions offer valuable insight into its owners and the use of Psalters in 13th-century Germany. LITERATURE Wieck, Roger S., ed. Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life. New York: Morgan Library & Museum, 2021. Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts. Entry 4639. https://sdbm.library.upenn.edu/entries/4639.

View 1 of Lot 1: Illuminated Ferial Psalter on vellum, in Latin, German (perhaps Diocese of Trier), c.1250–70 

illuminated ferial psalter on vellum, in latin, german (perhaps diocese of trier), c.1250–70

Royal Society Philosophical transactions. Vol.1 1665-66. [London, printed in the Savoy, for John Martyn, and James Allestry, 1667] 4to (221 x 168 mm), containing issues No.1 (March 6, 1665) to No.21 (21 January, 1666), 7 engraved plates (of which 3 folding) and one folding table, eighteenth-century calf, armorial of 2nd Viscount Courtenay stamped in gilt to covers, title-page lacking, rebacked with modern spine label FIRST VOLUME OF THE OLDEST CONTINUOUS JOURNAL OF A SCIENTIFIC ACADEMY, A FASCINATING COPY WITH THE CONTEMPORARY OWNERSHIP INSCRIPTION AND MARGINAL ANNOTATIONS OF WILLIAM RAMESAY, PHYSICIAN-IN-ORDINARY TO KING CHARLES II. The present volume comprises a remarkable complete run of issues published in the first year of this pioneering scientific journal's existence. The first issue, dating from March 1665, appeared four and a half years after the foundation of the Society, and contains articles on a remarkable range of topics including the improvement of optic glasses, observations on a deformed calf specimen, and an obituary of Pierre de Fermat. From its outset, the publication pioneered several features of modern-day scientific journals, including the system of peer review. Thomas Henry Huxley famously stated that "if all the books in the world except the Philosophical Transactions were destroyed, it is safe to say that the foundations of physical science would remain unshaken", and the twentieth century, the journal's status as a canonical text in the history of Western thought was cemented through its inclusion in Printing and the Mind of Man. However, the Transactions was not a commercially profitable enterprise to begin with. The Society's founding Secretary Henry Oldenburg, who edited and printed the publication at his own expense, barely covered the rent on his Piccadilly home from the revenue raised by subscriptions. The first volume rarely appears at auction, but the present copy has particularly fascinating provenance, having been owned and annotated by William Ramesey (1627-1676?). This intriguing figure was an astrologer and medical doctor who is believed to have been appointed Physician-in-Ordinary to King Charles II in 1668, the year after the present volume's publication. The elaborate signature on the title-page ("W: Ramesey. Md: Dr:") accords with the physician's preferred spelling of his own surname: he added an extra "e" (as in "Rameses") owing to the fanciful belief that his paternal ancestors hailed from Egypt (ODNB). Ramesay's diligent and extensive marginalia appear beside some 255 pages. Many of the annotations gloss the text's "most materiall points" (p.27), facilitating easy future reference, and in several places he cross-references ideas that appear elsewhere in the volume, or in other publications. Unsurprisingly, the papers on medical and astronomical topics tend to be annotated heavily, but his interests are by no means confined to these fields of knowledge: for instance, marginalia appear next to passages on viticulture (p. 262), the dispensation between the body and the soul (p. 306), and even an article on Felibien’s Entriens sur les Vies et sur les Ouvrages des plus excellens Peintres (p. 384). This capaciousness reveals an intellectual curiosity that is distinctly seventeenth century in character. Annotations in margins of the literature review sections give a direct insight into Ramesay's literary diet: for instance he writes "A booke worth buyinge" next to Robert Boyle's The Origine of Forms and Qualities (p. 191) and Christopher Merrett's Pinax Rerum Naturalium (p. 364). A work he singles out for particular praise is Athanasius Kircher's Mundus Subterraneus, which he deems "a booke worthy all ingenious industrious study" (p. 109). Often, the annotations reveal a sense of wonder and curiosity towards the expanding vistas of discovery revealed through pioneering empirical observation. One place in which this attitude strongly comes across is beside the paper "Some Observations and Experiments upon May-Dew", where he notes with fascination the "Heterogeneity of Dew & consequently of water" (p. 33), before listing in the margins a catalogue of the various organisms observed in distilled dew drops ("mushrooms...insects and flys of severall sorts...millipedes...small flyes...Tadpoles...Gnatts" (pp. 34-35)). The preoccupation with copious miniaturism here recalls the poetry of Marvell, Herrick, and Lovelace. In places, the marginalia document a recognition of the difficulties and uncertainties commensurate with empirical research, and even of the need to provide constructive feedback to scientific peers in order to facilitate the advancement of knowledge. For instance, next to a passage in Robert Boyle's essay on the use of the baroscope, Ramesay writes "Hee's extremely perplexed & findings led by accidents" (p. 239). Henry Oldenburg originally envisaged the journal as a "philosophical commonplace book": a shared repository of knowledge designed to foster strong collaboration between members of the Society and a broader network of European intellectuals, who had hitherto corresponded largely via letters. The annotations in the present volume give an insight into Ramesay's attitudes towards the medium of print as a means of transmitting scientific knowledge. He writes approvingly next to a passage discussing Boyle's decision to present several copies of An Experimental History of Cold to the Society so that its members can practice and refine the experiments themselves, deeming this "An ingenious arrang[emen]t indeed" (p. 8). Notably, Ramesay takes pains to write out the names of contributors in full when only the initials are printed, demonstrating the superlative importance of forging personal social connections amongst the Restoration scientific community. The volume also has interesting later provenance. The engraved bookplate and gilt stamp on the upper cover are of William Courtenay, 2nd Viscount Courtenay and 8th Earl of Devon (British Armorial Bindings Stamp 1). It has not been established whether Ramesay himself had a direct biographical connection with the Earls of Devon, though he is known to have resided in Plymouth from 1668 onwards. The Earls of Devon are also known to have owned a first edition of Hooke's Micrographia (most recently sold Sotheby's New York, 15 June 2006, lot 104). PROVENANCE: William Ramesey (1627-1676?), astrologer and physician-in-ordinary to Charles II: ownership inscription to title-page and marginalia throughout; William Courtenay, 2nd Viscount Courtenay (1742-1788): gilt stamp to upper cover and engraved bookplate; Earls of Devon, by descent, sale in these rooms, 15 February 1960, lot 101 (part lot) LITERATURE: Horblit 95b; PMM 148; USTC N741-1000; ESTC P6614; Patrick Curry, "Ramesey [Ramsay], William", ODNB

View 1 of Lot 39: Royal Society | Philosophical transactions. Vol.1, 1665-66, [London, 1667], first volume of the oldest continuous journal of a scientific academy, annotated by Charles II's physician William Ramesay

royal society | philosophical transactions. vol.1, 1665-66, [london, 1667], first volume of the oldest continuous journal of a scientific academy, annotated by charles ii's physician william ramesay

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