1 528 résultats
réf. ST20972dParis: Nicolas Vivien early 16th century. 197 x 130 mm. 7 3/4 x 5 1/8". Single column 28 lines gothic typeface. Ruled in red each leaf with several one- to three-line initials painted gold on red or blue ground and A LOVELY ANIMATED FULL BORDER DONE IN MANUSCRIPT with trompe-l'oeil flowers a moth a fly and a bird on painted gold ground. Light soiling and a couple small stains to vellum one initial a bit smudged but in excellent condition overall. This beautifully embellished leaf from a printed Book of Hours demonstrates the enduring demand for manuscript illumination in the incunabular period and beyond. While the text here was completed on a printing press the initials and border were done entirely by hand adding luxury and luster to an otherwise unadorned page. Although this leaf likely belonged to a Book of Hours printed in Paris possibly an edition printed for Nicolas Vivien in or around 1503 the trompe-l'oeil style seen in the border was particularly popular among Flemish and Netherlandish illuminators of the period. The large blossoms and acanthus here seem to pop off the page because of the artist's use of subtle shading to indicate shadows and there is additional pleasure to be found in the small creatures--a bird carrying a small flower a moth and a housefly--that share the space. Nicolas Vivien(?) unknown
1430réf. ST20979aParis ca. 1430. 191 x 140 mm. 7 1/2 x 5 1/2". Single column 16 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in gold line-fillers with color foliate and geometric designs on burnished gold ground two one-line initials and three two-line initials in blue or pink enclosing colored vines with foliage on gold ground one four-line initial in blue with white decoration enclosing a lattice pattern each compartment with an orange or blue leaf on gold ground BOTH SIDES WITH A DENSE RINCEAUX BORDER consisting of colorful acanthus flowers and many hairline vines terminating in gold leaves ivy and seed pods and with numerous gilt bezants. With just a couple tiny scuffs to paint and with slight rubbing to some of the small gold details but in lovely condition. This is an opulently decorated leaf from a Book of Hours offered in fine condition with glittering rinceaux borders delicate initials and luxurious gold rubrics. These sumptuous details and the high quality of the work indicate that this leaf was part of a costly manuscript commissioned by a wealthy patron. Other leaves from the same parent manuscript were sold at Bloomsbury on 6 December 2017 lots 63 and 64. One of these leaves showed St. Genèvieve leading the female saints in the Litany pointing to Paris as the place of origin. unknown
réf. ST21065CNortheastern France or Rhineland early 14th century. 345 x 239 mm. 13 1/2 x 9 3/8". Single column nine lines of music and text in a gothic hand. Rubrics and staves in red calligraphic initials in black. Later ink foliation in upper right corners. See: de Hamel Christopher. "Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts from the Library of Sir Sydney Cockerell" British Library Journal 13 1987. Vellum with light soiling and a little light creasing mostly marginal a few negligible marks but very clean and in excellent condition. From a manuscript fragment that once passed through the hands of Sir Sydney Cockerell the leaves in this group appear to come from a rarely seen liturgical text called a Sequentiary. Consisting of sung hymns called "sequences" performed between the Alleluia and Gospel readings during Mass a Sequentiary could be either a standalone volume or part of a longer work such as a Gradual or Missal. The script here is a neat and legible gothic book hand with some interesting calligraphic initials in black--some with little spikes or other flourishes--that might warrant further study. These leaves were previously bound into a later perhaps 18th century limp vellum binding the pastedown of which contained a tipped-on handwritten note from Cockerell 1867-1962 who was William Morris' private secretary and the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum for nearly 30 years. Cockerell attributed this manuscript to Northern France and suggested a date of ca. 1280 we believe it dates a little later noting that it was probably made for Dominican use based on the presence of the sequences for St. Peter Martyr and St. Dominic. It is unclear whether Cockerell actually owned this manuscript at one point or served as a consultant for a dealer or a private collector as he was known to do: in the words of de Hamel Cockerell became "the arbiter of quality before whom generations of collectors and scholars brought their acquisitions and attributions for judgement. . . . Dyson Perrins Yates Thompson Chester Beatty Pierpont Morgan St John Hornby Lord Kennet Francis Wormald Eric Millar J. R. Abbey and many others never felt that a manuscript acquisition was truly made until Sydney Cockerell had seen and approved it." De Hamel also notes that Cockerell "gave away sold or exchanged manuscripts on many occasions during his life of collecting" making it difficult to know exactly how this manuscript may have crossed his path or for how long it was in his possession. His appraisal does however suggest that this manuscript was in a defective state from at least the 1920s and probably a good deal earlier than that. Most of the choir book leaves that we offer for sale come from 15th and early 16th century manuscripts typically Italian or Spanish in origin; the present leaves offer an uncommon opportunity to purchase earlier specimens of musical notation from an unusual liturgical text with distinguished if uncertain ownership history and at an attainable price. The price given here is for a single leaf; for additional leaves from this same manuscript please see our website. unknown
réf. ST21065BNortheastern France or Rhineland early 14th century. 345 x 239 mm. 13 1/2 x 9 3/8". Single column nine lines of music and text in a gothic hand. Rubrics and staves in red calligraphic initials in black one-line initials in red or blue some with contrasting penwork each leaf with at least one large initial measuring a line of text plus a full stave in blue or red with blue and red penwork often extending several lines above or below. Later ink foliation in upper right corners; a couple leaves with remnants of older manuscript leaves enforcing the gutter. See: de Hamel Christopher. "Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts from the Library of Sir Sydney Cockerell" British Library Journal 13 1987. Trimmed a little close at the top occasionally cutting into penwork decoration light to moderate soiling to vellum some leaves with light creasing small stains and/or wormholes a few leaves with more noticeable flaws but still in very good presentable condition. From a manuscript fragment that once passed through the hands of Sir Sydney Cockerell the leaves in this group appear to come from a rarely seen liturgical text called a Sequentiary. Consisting of sung hymns called "sequences" performed between the Alleluia and Gospel readings during Mass a Sequentiary could be either a standalone volume or part of a longer work such as a Gradual or Missal. The script here is a neat and legible gothic book hand with simple but attractive lettering in blue and red with contrasting penwork; there are also some interesting calligraphic initials in black--some with little spikes or other flourishes--that might warrant further study. These leaves were previously bound into a later perhaps 18th century limp vellum binding the pastedown of which contained a tipped-on handwritten note from Cockerell 1867-1962 who was William Morris' private secretary and the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum for nearly 30 years. Cockerell attributed this manuscript to Northern France and suggested a date of ca. 1280 we believe it dates a little later noting that it was probably made for Dominican use based on the presence of the sequences for St. Peter Martyr and St. Dominic. It is unclear whether Cockerell actually owned this manuscript at one point or served as a consultant for a dealer or a private collector as he was known to do: in the words of de Hamel Cockerell became "the arbiter of quality before whom generations of collectors and scholars brought their acquisitions and attributions for judgement. . . . Dyson Perrins Yates Thompson Chester Beatty Pierpont Morgan St John Hornby Lord Kennet Francis Wormald Eric Millar J. R. Abbey and many others never felt that a manuscript acquisition was truly made until Sydney Cockerell had seen and approved it." De Hamel also notes that Cockerell "gave away sold or exchanged manuscripts on many occasions during his life of collecting" making it difficult to know exactly how this manuscript may have crossed his path or for how long it was in his possession. His appraisal does however suggest that this manuscript was in a defective state from at least the 1920s and probably a good deal earlier than that. Most of the choir book leaves that we offer for sale come from 15th and early 16th century manuscripts typically Italian or Spanish in origin; the present leaves offer an uncommon opportunity to purchase earlier specimens of musical notation from an unusual liturgical text with distinguished if uncertain ownership history and at an attainable price. The price given here is for a single leaf; for additional leaves from this same manuscript please see our website. unknown
réf. ST20967aItaly late 11th or early 12th century. 485 x 124 mm. 19 1/8 x 12 3/4". Measured at widest part. Double column 53 lines in a rounded proto-gothic hand. Running titles in red. With contemporary or slightly later marginal notations; later inscriptions from its reuse as binding scrap dated 1557 and 1560 noting the volume "no. 181." Recovered from a binding and thus the vellum somewhat wrinkled soiled and with multiple folds some dark staining affecting legibility of several lines--though sense easily recoverable on one side and with effort on the other--a few tiny holes and two larger ones slightly affecting the text. Showing the usual problems associated with re-use but a grand and greatly appealing leaf nevertheless with its handsome script and imposing presence readily apparent. Partly because of its re-use in what obviously would have been a very large binding and more especially because of its age and early script this vast Romanesque Bible leaf is of there is no other way to say it but immense interest. Measuring nearly 20 inches tall it is almost large enough to be considered a so-called "Atlantic Bible" leaf a distinctive modern designation reserved for massive Bibles produced in the 11th and 12th centuries. The script here consists of a highly legible proto-gothic book hand with elegant rounded letter forms. Its overall appearance has much in common with Caroline miniscule including clubbed ascenders a strong "st" ligature and an "f" that extends below the baseline. In addition there are very few abbreviations and the ampersand symbol is used exclusively rather than the Tironian "et" favored in later scripts. The text here is from Deuteronomy 20:5-23:24 containing the final laws that Moses gives to the Israelites before entering the Promised Land. These "second laws" as they are often called include an array of statutes pertaining to sexual relations marriage divorce slavery warfare and inheritance as well as rules for agriculture clothing and diet. Our leaf previously belonged to the renowned Schøyen Collection one of the largest and most distinguished private manuscript collections in the world. Started in the 1920s by Norwegian engineer M. O. Schøyen and expanded by his son Martin the collection is particularly strong in paleography and biblical texts. Among its many unique and important manuscript pieces are treasures such as the St. Cecilia Bible the only Carolingian Bible in private hands and fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. unknown
1415réf. ST17763Paris ca. 1415-20. Leaf: 160 x 110 mm. 6 1/4 x 3/8"; Frame: 232 x 185 mm. 9 1/8 x 7 1/4". Recto with three lines single column in a gothic book hand verso not inspected due to frame. Mounted in a wooden frame. Recto with a three-line initial in blue on gold ground embellished with ivy leaves A HALF-PAGE MINIATURE DEPICTING THE MASS OF ST. GREGORY the recently crucified Christ depicted emerging from a tomb supported by an angel and surrounded by the Arma Christi St. Gregory kneeling at the corner of the image the text and miniature framed by thick bar borders of pink blue and gold on three sides all SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER of hairline vines gilt ivy leaves and bezants and a few colorful flowers and acanthus. A little faint smudging in top and bottom borders very small scarcely noticeable area of blue background retouched not affecting the figures but A BEAUTIFUL LEAF the colors bright and the detail in the miniature very well preserved. Featuring carefully realized detail intriguing iconography and artistry that shows a very high degree of skill this is an important and early example of the work of the Master of the Harvard Hannibal. The subject of the present work is a well-known story about the sixth century Pope Gregory ca. 540-604 commonly known as St. Gregory the Great. According to legend Gregory was saying Mass when one of his deacons expressed a doubt in the doctrine of Transubstantiation whereby the communion bread actually becomes the body of Christ. Gregory prayed to God for a verifying sign whereupon Christ appeared in the guise of the Man of Sorrows clad in a loincloth and displaying the bloody wounds he incurred during the Crucifixion. Most Medieval miniatures depict Gregory kneeling before an altar as he says Mass accompanied by one or more deacons or assistants who bear witness to the miraculous event. In a notable departure from this norm the present miniature depicts the saint alone at the edge of the picture plane; in place of the chalice host and altar that would normally occupy the center of the scene is a considerable open tomb from which a larger-than-life-size Christ emerges. With blood still rushing from his wounds he places one hand on the edge of the tomb to steady himself while an angel supports him from behind. Christ's expression conveys both physical and mental pain as he struggles to support his own bodyweight; the angel who assists him spreads his wings protectively around the body of Christ while looking down at Gregory with a sorrowful expression knitted into his brow. The fine detail work seen in the figures' faces the angel's wings and the careful delineation of each slender finger is also carried over into more than a dozen objects crammed into the spaces in and around the tomb the rope is especially remarkable in the representation of its detail. Known as the "Arma Christi" or "Instruments of the Passion" these objects are meant to symbolize Christ's suffering. Seen here are: the cross nails and hammer that were used to crucify Christ the ladder used in the Deposition the disembodied hand symbolizing the one which slapped Christ's face the dice used by soldiers to see who would claim his seamless robe a lantern used by the soldiers who arrested Christ the 30 pieces of silver from Judas' betrayal a purple robe used in the mockery of Christ and other items that appear as part of the Passion narrative. It is also interesting to note that although a St. Gregory miniature usually appears at the beginning of the Hours of the Cross the Penitential Psalms or before the Seven Prayers of St. Gregory here rather unusually it opens a reading from John chapter 19 beginning "In illo tempore adprehendit Pilatus Iesum et flagellavit" describing the events of the Passion. This miniature can be attributed to an artist known as the Master of the Harvard Hannibal so-named for a splendid miniature painting of the "Coronation of Hannibal" prefacing a Livy in the Harvard College Library. Active from about 1415-30 in Paris and later possibly Rouen it is believed that our illuminator was a pupil of the Boucicaut Master with whom he is thought to have collaborated on several manuscripts both secular and religious. The present miniature would probably have been executed early in his career and while it certainly shows the influence of his teacher it also reveals certain stylistic tendencies that would become staples of the Master of the Harvard Hannibal's more mature work such as his preference for rich colors heavy molding of the faces and interest in decorative details. With its clever composition meticulous detail work and emotive figures that engage the viewer the present miniature is not only a beautiful work of art it also documents the precocious talent of an emerging master early in his professional career. unknown
1915réf. ST17129-042Chicago: Written and Illuminated for The Renaissance Society ca. 1915. 216 x 153 mm. 8 1/2 x 6". ii 28 pp. 1 leaf colophon. Single column 18 lines in an attractive calligraphic hand. VERY PRETTY VIOLET CRUSHED MOROCCO GILT AND INLAID for The Renaissance Society stamp-signed in gilt on front doublure smooth spine with gilt titling FULL MOROCCO DOUBLURES consisting of a green morocco panel framed by purple morocco with gilt dots and scrolling floral motifs at each corner each with an inlaid white morocco flower cream-colored watered silk endleaves. In a lavender buckram chemise and matching purple morocco-backed slipcase with raised bands and gilt lettering. With many one-line initials in pink each leaf with a different two- to four-line initial in a different style with both painted and gilt elements and exuberantly decorated most leaves with a panel or "L"-shaped border ranging from simple lines to elaborate decorative bars a few borders with small landscapes and a total of FOUR FIGURAL SCENES decorative title page with colorful initials lettering and decorative flourishes text beginning with A HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF ST. JEROME AT HIS DESK surrounded by A FULL BORDER of flowers gilt detailing and stylized heads of putti all by Louis Bauhan. Front free endpaper with bookplate of Phoebe Boyle. Leather with a slight chalky appearance silk endleaves starting to fray at fore edge a few leaves with a hint of waviness but THE MANUSCRIPT IN BEAUTIFUL CONDITION the vellum entirely clean and the paint especially bright and fresh. Exuberantly decorated by a major illustrator of the period this manuscript was commissioned and bound for The Renaissance Society of Chicago before making its way into the superb collection of American bibliophile Phoebe Boyle. The text here comes from a poem by "Atlantic Monthly" writer and editor Thomas Bailey Aldrich 1836-1907 imagining the agony and the ecstasy of St. Jerome as he sat down to write his translation of the Bible. The illumination though certainly inspired by the decorative programs of Medieval manuscripts is decidedly modern in appearance drawing on the Art Nouveau movement and utilizing bold color combinations and whimsical design motifs. It is not clear why the illustrator here Louis Bauhan 1855-1941 has used the ananym "Siuol Na-Huab" because there is no reason to hide responsibility for producing the clean elegant script the imaginative marginal decoration and the finished human and animal images that enliven the manuscript. Bauhan was a very successful painter and illustrator perhaps best known to the public as art editor of "Cosmopolitan Magazine" under John Brisben Walker who edited and published the magazine from 1889 to 1905. In 1881 Bauhan helped to found the Kit-Kat Club of New York a bohemian artists' and cultural association; he was persistently in demand as a book illustrator; and among other things he painted landscapes and portraits in oil. The colophon here states that the manuscript was written and illuminated for The Renaissance Society--an artistic group associated with the University of Chicago whose mission was to cultivate and promote modern art--and it was given an appropriately luxurious binding by the same organization. The manuscript was obviously valued highly enough to join the collection of Phoebe A. D. Boyle a client George Sutcliffe described as "rivalling the Medici in her patronage of the production of beautiful books." Shepherd "The Cinderella of the Arts" p. 63 Stephen Ratcliffe describes the Boyle collection as "unrivalled" for its jewelled bindings and modern illuminated manuscripts and any book from the Boyle collection which was put together with the greatest taste and discrimination is recognized as desirable beyond its intrinsic literary merit. Written and Illuminated for The Renaissance Society unknown
1450réf. ST11774DParis ca. 1450. 159 x 108 mm. 6 1/4 x 4 1/4". Single column 15 lines per page in an excellent gothic book hand. Rubrics in red each leaf with two or more two-line initials in burnished gold on red and blue ground with white tracery some also with one-line initials and line fillers similarly decorated one or both sides with a swirling panel border featuring flowers leaves strawberries and many burnished gold ivy leaves on hairline stems. Isolated trivial stains or imperfections but VERY BRIGHT CLEAN AND FRESH. In fine condition beautifully decorated and sparkling with gold these leaves are marvelous examples of a high-quality Parisian Book of Hours made for a person of means. The borders here are especially pleasing with skeins of hairline vines accented by burnished bezants and ivy bright blue and gold acanthus pale green leaves and cheerful red blossoms. For leaves at other price points please check our website. unknown
réf. ST20968-01Italy second half of 11th or opening of 12th century. 497 x 294 mm. 19 5/8 x 11 5/8". Double column 58 lines in a late Caroline hand. Running titles in red three two-line initials in red. Recovered from a binding and thus with some general soiling and staining to vellum recto illegible except for part of the headline modern reinforcement to the gutter and margins affecting a couple of letters at the end of a number of lines but the verso quite legible in most places and easily recoverable in the few places where it's not. This impressive leaf was once part of an immense lectern Bible that would have been prominently displayed at a church or monastery ca. 1075-1100. Measuring just under 500 mm. tall its dimensions are almost big enough to be considered an "Atlantic Bible" a distinctive modern designation reserved for massive Bibles produced in the 11th and 12th centuries. Despite the loss of legibility on one side due to the leaf's reuse as binding material the other side displays a lovely rounded Caroline hand with few abbreviations. The text comes from Exodus 23:11-24:18 expounding parts of civil law and Moses' journey to Mount Sinai. Our leaf was most recently part of the renowned Schøyen Collection one of the largest and most distinguished private manuscript collections in the world. Started in the 1920s by Norwegian engineer M. O. Schøyen and expanded by his son Martin the collection is particularly strong in paleography and biblical texts. Among its many unique and important manuscript pieces are treasures such as the St. Cecilia Bible the only Carolingian Bible in private hands and fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. unknown
1500réf. ST20810RParis ca. 1500. 163 x 115 mm. 6 1/2 x 4 1/2". Single column 18 lines in a gothic book hand. Rubrics in red line fillers in blue and pink with gold bezant six one-line initials in burnished gold on pink and blue ground two two-line initials in blue on gold ground with a flower in the center one three-line initial in blue filled with ivy on gold ground verso with panel border of colorful flowers and acanthus recto with A LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE OF THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN with an "L" shaped frame of burnished gold and painted flowers and A FULL BORDER of acanthus flowers a man playing a bagpipe and a hybrid creature wearing a hat all on a painted gold ground. Very minor wrinkling to vellum but the leaf IN LOVELY CONDITION with the gold everywhere gleaming brightly. From a luxuriously appointed Book of Hours this leaf features a handsome miniature of the Coronation of the Virgin attributed to the workshop of Jean Pichore fl. ca. 1502-20 a major figure among illuminators of the period and one of the most sought-after artists in France at the turn of the 16th century. Executed with imagination and delicacy the miniature features the traditional subject associated with the hour of Compline showing the Virgin being crowned Queen of Heaven following her Death and Assumption. The composition here is quite intimate with the Virgin kneeling before her son as she accepts with humility the crown he lays upon her head. Christ is depicted barefoot and slightly bowed toward his mother in a gentle display of respect. The artist creates a wonderful backdrop for this scene composed entirely of seraphim painted gold blue light pink and green closely packed together. Two of the seraphim hold up light pink draperies behind the central figures as if to shield this tender moment from prying eyes. The borders here are a source of delight featuring a figure wearing a jester-like cap and playing the bagpipe as well as a creature with the body of a bird and the face of a human donning a rather fashionable bycocket cap. The illumination here is of high quality features a liberal use of gold and contains unique marginal details suggesting that the original manuscript must have been a costly commission for a wealthy patron. unknown
1937réf. ST21066London: William Heinemann Limited 1937. FIRST EDITION. Book: 245 x 152 mm. 9 3/4 x 6"; Case: 330 x 235 mm. 13 x 9 1/4". 3 p.l. 34 pp. LOVELY CONTEMPORARY STIFF VELLUM GILT AND PAINTED covers with delicate gilt frame sprays of flower and leaves at each corner outlined in gilt and painted blue and green central lozenge outlined in gilt dots and framed by painted flowers and leaves a large initial "A" in gilt at center smooth spine divided into compartments with gilt and painted floral ornament turn-ins with gilt floral roll sky blue silk endleaves all edges gilt. Housed in a fine oversized blue morocco case designed to look like a book with gilt lettering on the upper cover raised bands gilt ruled compartments and lettering to spine the interior constructed and padded to hold the smaller book and lined with blue velvet spine of case a bit sunned corners a little rubbed clasp no longer functional. A FINE COPY clean and fresh internally in a pristine binding. With very considerable visual and tactile appeal this is a gracefully bound copy of the the final book of verse issued by Richard Aldington published before he turned exclusively to writing prose. A leading poet of the early 20th-century Imagist school Aldington né Edward Godfree Aldington 1892-1962 was a prolific writer whose 50-year career produced novels biographies translations and literary criticism as well as sharp minimalist free verse. He was part of the contemporary London avant-garde crowd being close friends with Ezra Pound T. S. Eliot Amy Lowell and D. H. Lawrence; and he was especially close to the poet H. D. Hilda Doolittle his first wife from 1913-38. As literary editor of the leading Modernist periodical "The Egoist" he was an integral part of the pre-World War I literary scene and his first largely autobiographical work "Death of a Hero" 1929 was considered by George Orwell and Lawrence Durrell to be the best of the English Great War novels. The poems here were written in the mid-1930s when Aldington had decamped to the United States after the woman he loved Netta Patmore rejected his proposal of marriage. While tracing his grief and longing the verses also build the image of a "crystal world" created by the love of an ardent couple concluding that "Only from the purity of extreme passion / And alas the purity of extreme pain / Can you build the crystal world." Happily Aldington's beloved Netta to whom the work is dedicated reversed her decision and agreed in 1938 to help him build their crystal world together. The present lovely binding is unsigned but the delicate precise tooling and elegant design indicate the work of very talented hands. The romantic contents and the rather feminine aspect of the binding suggest that this was a gift from one lover to another perhaps a recipient sharing the initial "A" with our author. And the oversized and extravagant custom case indicates how much this object was treasured. William Heinemann Limited unknown
1500réf. ST20810PParis ca. 1500. 165 x 117 mm. 6 1/2 x 4 5/8". Single column 18 lines in a gothic book hand. Rubrics in red line fillers in blue and pink with gold bezant five one-line initials in burnished gold on pink and blue ground one two-line initial in blue on gold ground with a flower in the center one three-line initial in blue filled with ivy on gold ground recto with panel border of colorful flowers vase and acanthus verso with A LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE OF THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS surrounded by A FULL BORDER of acanthus flowers and two birds all on a painted gold ground. Slight soiling to vellum but a very well-preserved leaf in fine condition. From what was surely a costly Book of Hours this leaf features a charming and skillfully painted miniature of the Annunciation to the Shepherds attributable to the workshop of Jean Pichore fl. ca. 1502-20 a major figure among illuminators of the period and one of the most sought-after artists in France at the turn of the 16th century. Depicting the traditional subject associated with the hour of Terce our miniature portrays as usual an angel appearing to shepherds tending their flock bringing news of the birth of Christ. Although the biblical narrative suggests that the shepherds were startled by the angel's appearance the three figures in this miniature appear remarkably unmoved--in fact only one of them seems to take any notice at all. The first shepherd sits on the ground looking straight ahead; the second holds his hands in prayer but looks little more than well prayerful at the angel in the sky; and a third figure maintains a slightly aloof expression taking no particular interest in the unfolding miraculous event. What may seem to be indifference can be explained easily enough by the artist's successful portrayal of nighttime cold! All three shepherds are thickly dressed one with his arms pressed tightly against his chest another with a hood partly covering his face and the sheep are tightly huddled together into one woolly white cluster. Another manifestation of the artist's success here is seen in the particularly well done molding of the faces with subtle shading attractively rendered features and clear individuation. Moreover although the shepherds seem essentially unmoved their garments are dusted with a glistening gold radiance from above a further subtle touch revealing a high level of achievement on the part of the painter. Finally the borders are one last source of delight with a small bird shown in mid-flight and a second one investigating a single strawberry that seems to have been placed there just for him. All of these indications of sophistication suggest that the original manuscript must have been commissioned by a patron able to pay a premium for the work of a highly skilled atelier. unknown
réf. ST20973Italy 15th century. 364 x 260 mm. 14 3/8 x 10 1/4". Single column 22 lines in a rounded gothic book hand. Rubrics in red versal initials alternating red and blue with purple penwork one three-line initial in blue with purple penwork A SIX-LINE "A" DEPICTING THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN the initial painted pink with red green and blue nodes and acanthus on a burnished gold ground with extensions running the length of the text column incorporating more acanthus and small gold embellishments with sprays of the gold leaves at the top bottom and center. A little rubbing to the paint negligible soiling and small spots to margins but in excellent condition overall. This very large handsomely preserved leaf features a strikingly attractive initial of the Virgin opening the beloved hymn "Ave Maris Stella" "Hail Star of the Sea". Dating back to at least the ninth century and traditionally associated with the hour of Vespers on Marian feast days as here the hymn praises the Virgin's purity meekness and mercy calling upon her as the "Nurturing Mother of God" to dispel evil and free us from our sins. Inside the gilt and painted initial is a lovely portrait of the Virgin who is depicted seated against a red mandorla dressed in pink and wrapped in a green and blue mantle--perhaps a reference to the colors of the ocean. Her hands are raised in prayer fingers lightly touching above her heart and her well-defined features appear both strong and serene. Judging from the size of the initial liberal use of gold and the wide margins of this leaf the original manuscript must have been a costly item produced for a wealthy church or monastery. unknown
réf. ST20837bGermany late 12th or early 13th century. 335 x 224 mm. 13 1/4 x 8 7/8". Double column 29 lines in an elegant proto-gothic book hand. Rubrics in red several two-line initials in red. Recovered from a binding and so the vellum a bit soiled creased and wavy recto with a lighter patch where a title label was once situated light stains and glue and paper residue on the verso but overall the leaf remarkably clean entirely legible and surprisingly well preserved. Once serving as a cover for a later book this leaf comes from a nearly contemporaneous copy of Peter Lombard's "Sentences" considered the most important theological book of the 12th century. Written between 1155 and 1158 and arranged topically Lombard's "Sententiae" summarize past learning about Christian doctrine by quoting authorities in an attempt to resolve textual disagreement by dialectical analysis. As a source collection that continued to spark discussion Lombard's great work enjoyed sustained success as a theological textbook until the 17th century and inspired numerous commentaries including those of Aquinas and Luther. This leaf comes from Book IV "On the Doctrine of Signs" which is primarily concerned with the seven sacraments: Baptism Confirmation the Eucharist Penance Extreme Unction Sacred Orders and Matrimony. The script is an upright and very legible proto-gothic book hand with a few distinctive letter forms and abbreviations that may help determine a more definitive point of origin these include a "g" with a downward cross on its tail and a conjoined "qe" for "que". It is unusual and very lucky that this leaf survives completely intact as Medieval manuscripts used in later bindings were often cut down in size to make smaller covers or used as waste paper for pastedowns or other binding elements. unknown
réf. 1059101350. Tuscany: c. 1350. Folio 430 x 308 mm. Single leaf. With four-line staves of music on both sides with five recto and six verso lines of text beneath. With a very fine initial 'A' in Tuscan colors. The top edge has been repaired perhaps at the time with a strip of vellum for unknown reasons perhaps a mark of ownership removed. Otherwise in very good condition generally clean and fresh and with ample margins. § A fine early Tuscan leaf being the responses and versicles for the first reading at Matins. The leaf opens: "Absterget Deus omnem lacrimam ab oculis." Provenance: Bernard M. Rosenthal 1995 with his notes; private collection San Francisco. unknown
1450réf. 1058951450. Dutch school: c. 1450 or later. Single leaf 138 x 98 mm. Miniature without text image of Christ before Caiaphas being held by a soldier with a jester dancing behind him disciples and a cockerel seen through a doorway in the courtyard beyond within a three-sided border of simple flowers. In good condition. § Origin and provenance unknown; from a private California collection. unknown
1944réf. ST19310Sheffield England December 1944. 265 x 215 mm. 10 1/2 x 8 1/2". 6 leaves illuminated on rectos final leaf also illuminated on verso with colophon. VERY ATTRACTIVE DARK BLUE MOROCCO GILT stamped-signed "Bound by Slinn" on front pastedown upper cover with monogram of Edwin Goddard Stokes framed by gilt-ruled compartments containing gilt lettering elaborate gilt foliage and a gilt crown tool at top the panel surrounded by a double gilt rule frame and dogtooth roll border with additional foliate tools rear cover with quatrefoil design in floral tools and pointillé dogtooth roll border smooth spine with gilt-ruled compartments. In a rather worn felt-lined brown paper wallet case with handwritten titling on spine. Each recto with one or two large two- to three-line initials either painted or gilt TITLE PAGE WITH A FULL BORDER and others with a large complex border all of them elaborately painted with a variety of patterns styles motifs and with gilt embellishments one border incorporating three coats of arms AND ANOTHER PAGE WITH A QUARTER-PAGE MINIATURE OF A KNIGHT ON HORSEBACK. Trivial wear at top of front joint otherwise in pristine condition. This is a charming modern illuminated manuscript penned during WWII that contains two excerpts from Shakespeare in praise of "this other Eden demi-paradise" called England--specifically passages from John of Gaunt's dying speech in "King Richard II" and lines from "King John." As stated in the colophon the manuscript "was Designed Written out and Illuminated by John Wilfred Clarke of Ecclesall Sheffield for his great friend Edwin Goddard Stokes of Ringinglow Sheffield." Clarke d. 1954 was a municipal engineer and town planner by trade professions for which skill in the visual arts particularly draftsmanship is not only preferred but required. He was clearly a talented amateur with a flair for pattern and design. Though he incorporates elements found in Medieval manuscripts--trailing ivy leaves penwork decoration tessellation and line enders--the style is at the same time modern utilizing bold color combinations and layered shapes and patterns. Given the artist's location it is quite possible that he was involved with the Sheffield School of Art which was founded in 1843 and offered classes in fine arts and crafts. We know that the binder Walter Slinn d. 1964 was a staff member at the school as well as a prominent local bookbinder. Nationalistic sentiments are made clear in the choice of material celebrating England in Shakespeare's voice and this manuscript is all the more poignant when seen in the context of its time and place. Sheffield an industrial city was a major producer of steel and armaments during WWII --and thus a high-value target for German air raids. The so-called "Sheffield Blitz" of 1940 resulted in hundreds of deaths and nearly 80000 damaged homes. In December of 1944 when this manuscript was completed the end of the war was not yet in sight. Despite the bleak circumstances the manuscript radiates color light and hope. The recipient of Clarke's attractive manuscript was Edwin Goddard Stokes 1902 - ca. 1957 one of the sons of the prominent Sheffield businessman Robert James Stokes founder of R. J. Stokes & Co. a tile company that still flourishes in the city now. It is clear that this item was carefully looked after by this "great friend" of the artist. So far as we have been able to determine Clarke is an unrecorded artist except for the present Shakespeare work and one other similar manuscript featuring excerpts from Chaucer now in Stanford University Library. unknown
2020réf. I-328-057Jasor 2020. Paperback. Very Good. Former library book. Edition 2020. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this item's net price to charity organizations. Jasor paperback
réf. 50727Venice: S. Rosen - Publisher Piazza S. Marc MDCCCCVI. 1906 . Scarce miniature book with hand-painted decoration. 2.75" x 2.25" x 0.5" 7.2cm x 5.8cm x 1.4cm. pp.256. Soiled vellum binding in very good condition. Both boards and spine with hand-painted decoration. Original leather tie still attached. Patterned endpapers. Gift inscription in red to front free-endpapers: "Of great value. Hand painted cover. From Father brought from Venice July 1909. A.D. To Ailen Mary Danby." Portrait frontis. Clean English text throughout plus a further 3 full-page illustrations. VG . Venice: S. Rosen - Publisher Piazza S. Marc, MDCCCCVI. [ 1906 ] . hardcover
réf. 50799Polstead: 10th January 1783 . Large folded vellum document between William Beale Brand of Polstead and Reverend Thomas Cooke Of Semer. Yellowed and lightly soiled. 60cm x 90cm. All handwritten text clearly legible. . Family history records show that : "Anna Mirabella Henrietta baptized at St. James' Bury on Aug. 15 1738 was married in 1761 to William Beale Brand of Polstead in Suffolk. William Brand died in 1799 and his widow in Feb. 18 14. There was no family and after Mrs. Brand's death Polstead passed to Thomas William Cooke grandson of Thomas Cooke rector of Semer who had married William Brand's sister. Elizabeth Holworthy: baptised September 18 1753 Elsworth. Married Rev.Thomas Cooke of Elsworth clerk on May 13 1777 Elsworth. Thomas was from the small village of Semer in Suffolk where his family were the owners of the manor House and a great part of the estate in the parish.Elizabeth bore Thomas at least two children- Thomas Cooke who became the rector of Bildeston in Suffolk was born in Elsworth Cambridgeshire in 1778. He was schooled at Eton for eight years and then attended Cambridge University 1796-1798. He became Lord of the Manor at Bildeston in 1814 when he inherited the estate from his great-uncle William B. Brand Esq. He married Mary Ann Mathews daughter of Richard Mathews of Wargrave Berkshire on September 7 1803 and died without issue on July 27 1825 at Bentworth. Polstead: 10th January 1783 . hardcover
réf. 49887Long Melford Sudbury Suffolk: Hannah Stewart 26th February 1839 . Large vellum document. Two vertical folds and three horizontal folds. 18" x 18". Plus probate certificate and paper/wax seal. VG. Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk: Hannah Stewart, 26th February 1839 . hardcover
réf. 49914Clare Suffolk: 20th July 1729 . 1729 vellum Indenture. 37cm x 67cm. 2 horizontal folds and3 vertical folds. Clear English hand writing. An agreement for Samuel Ralling of Clare Suffolk occupation: Tanner to rent/lease a yard from William Wiseman of Stradishall Suffolk. Vellum with wax Seal27" x 15" Clare, Suffolk: 20th July 1729 . hardcover
réf. 3734759889.Gpaperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book. paperback
réf. 453861695. Small rubbed vellum document. 7.25" x 8.25". 25 lines of neat text rubbed on one side .Names identified include John Gladman and John Swichatt of Watford. On the verso is a further 7 lines of text dated 1695 and signed: "Samuell Anderson". 1695 hardcover
réf. 45375Kingston upon Hull: 24th December 1667 . Folded vellum ducument. 26" x 22". Between: John Legard Kingston upon Hull; George Newman Kingston upon Hull; & Christoper Bacon. With 3 old wax seals chipped and rubbed to base. Kingston upon Hull: 24th December, 1667 . hardcover
