1 532 résultats
1465réf. ST17243bBruges ca. 1465. 193 x 145 mm. 7 5/8 x 5 3/4". Single column 21 lines in a gothic book hand. Rubrics in red one two-line initial in gold filled with blue on pink ground WITH THREE LARGE HISTORIATED INITIALS: ONE FEATURING AN OVAL-SHAPED PIECE OF FLESH WITH A GASH IN THE CENTER AND TWO WITH CHRIST'S DISEMBODIED FOOT SHOWING THE PUNCTURE WOUND FROM THE CRUCIFIXION each initial in pink or blue with white tracery filled with dark pink and thin gilt lines and dots four wavy blue rays radiating from behind each appendage all within a thin gilt frame both sides with a three-quarter border consisting of hairline vines gold bezants and a few colorful flowers. ◆Vellum a shade less than bright faint marginal rumpling trivial paint transfer on one initial BUT IN FINE CONDITION the initials richly painted and extremely well preserved. From a manuscript probably produced in Bruges for the English market this leaf contains arresting initials that direct the viewer's attention to the wounds endured by Christ during the Passion. According to Roger Wieck Passion Cycle images enjoyed a particular vogue in 15th century Dutch Flemish and English Books of Hours including those that were exported to England. In the present example the strikingly unusual imagery includes the wounds of the left and right foot as well as the spear injury to Christ's side depicted as an oval piece of flesh with a laceration across the center. A sister leaf to the present item features three additional initials showing a portrait of Christ wearing the Crown of Thorns his gaze fixed directly at the viewer and in separate initials his left and right hands appear disembodied and displaying the stigmata. The parent manuscript containing the present leaf sold at Christie's on 15 November 2006 lot 16 the description for which gives us additional information about the book's contents and provenance: it was made for the Use of Sarum included a calendar with the English saint Thomas Becket and Popes Gregory and Silvester with their names crossed out indicating that it was in England through at least the time of the Reformation and contained an early ownership inscription of a woman named Bridget Lowe with a Middle English inscription on the pastedown. Christie's also attributed the parent manuscript to the workshop of William Vrelant with miniatures possibly by his chief assistant the Master of the "Vraie Cronique Descoce." They note that this work is "of higher quality than many of the works that satisfied the English demand for Netherlandish illumination" and that it "demonstrates why Vrelant appealed to the great bibliophiles of the Burgundian Netherlands." Vrelant was the leading purveyor of books of private devotion in Bruges during the third quarter of the 15th century and his prominent position among Flemish illuminators of the time is indicated by the considerable number of manuscripts illustrated in his manner by other miniaturists both in Bruges and in nearby cities in Flanders. Similar examples to the present leaf can be found in intact Books of Hours at the Philadelphia Free Library MS Widener 3 and the Huntington HM 1086--both of which were produced in Flanders or the Netherlands around the same time as the present work. The present leaf surpasses both of these examples in terms of excellence of the artistic hand and attention to detail. unknown
1470réf. ST17245-09Northern France probably Rouen ca. 1470. 180 x 117 mm. 7 x 4 5/8". Single column 18 lines text in a bâtarde hand. Text in red blue and gold two-line "KL" in shell gold on blue and red ground both sides with panel border composed of flowers and ink dots WITH TWO SMALL MINIATURES each centered in the middle of the panel borders featuring the labor of the month Threshing and the zodiac sign a young woman for Virgo. Vellum a bit soiled and slight wrinkling in margins small area of rubbing at bottom of the Virgo miniature but in excellent condition overall the fine details in the miniatures well preserved. Situated among the flowers of the panel borders here are two small but charming miniatures depicting the labor of the month "Threshing" and the zodiac sign for August. According to Roger Wieck far fewer than half the Books of Hours of the period contain illustrated calendars "even in manuscripts with otherwise lavish cycles of miniatures"; when they do appear they are invariably charming as is the case here. In the threshing scene a young layman brings down his grain flail two hinged pieces of wood the longer one called a helve and the other a beater joined by a thong in an effort to separate the grain while neatly gathered bushels of straw appear just behind him. On the verso we see a representation of Virgo as a young woman holding appropriately two long stalks of grain in her hands. The rich palette used in these miniatures allows the delicate gold highlighting on the harvested crop and garments to shine through adding a fine sense of detail to each image. unknown
réf. ST17060ZFrance probably Besançon 3rd quarter of 15th century. 239 x 165 mm. 9 3/8 x 6 1/2". Single column 15 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in dark pink line-enders in dark pink and blue highlighted with a gilt bezant several one-line initials and one two-line initial in burnished gold on dark pink and blue ground with white tracery one three-line initial in pink with white tracery filled with trefoils painted red or blue all on a gold ground verso with panel border of delicate hairline vines terminating in gilt bezants and ivy and with acanthus and flowers recto with A HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF THE CRUCIFIXION in an arch-topped gilt frame Christ in the center of the composition with the mocking inscription "I N R I" "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" on a banner above him the Virgin standing on the left and St. John on the right the landscape behind them filled with hills and trees under a tessellated sky SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER consisting of hairline vines terminating in gold bezants and ivy colorful acanthus strawberries and flowers the text and image further framed by a "U"-shaped bar of gold pink and blue extending the full height of the miniature. ◆Virgin's robe a little mottled and chipped minor chipping elsewhere borders with slight smudging to some of the hairline vines small marginal stain but in all in excellent condition with wide margins with the colors very bright and the miniature well preserved. Opening the Hours of the Cross a shorter text that is sometimes found in addition to the Hours of the Virgin this touching miniature of the Crucifixion is richly painted and features a particularly emotional depiction of Christ his head slightly bowed with an expression of pain. Blood flows freely from his wounds partly merging with the orange in the sky and partly forming rivulets at the base of the cross. This exsanguination stands in contrast to the more typically restrained indications in other Crucifixion scenes and serves to emphasize the cruel suffering of the execution. His mother stands to the left in a blue cloak hands knitted together and with a look of weary resignation on her face; to the right stands St. John whose lips are slightly parted as he looks directly at the crucified Christ as if searching his face for signs of life. Our artist has made an unusual choice for the background with the lower two thirds devoted to a naturalistic landscape with many hills and trees and the sky entirely tessellated with squares of red blue and gold. While the Virgin and St. John are both firmly situated within the earthy realm the body of Christ occupies both spaces perhaps emphasizing his dual nature as both human and divine. Stylistically this leaf can be localized to the Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is closely related if not directly attributable to an atelier specializing in Books of Hours made for the Use of Besançon and most likely situated in that city see Avril and Reynaud p. 197. The similarities are especially apparent in the figures' faces which are slightly puffy in appearance and have distinct slit-like eyes. As noted by Avril and Reynaud the unnamed master of this atelier was deeply indebted to the Master of Morgan 293 a talented Burgundian illuminator active in the second quarter of the 15th century whose name derives from a particularly lovely Book of Hours made for the Use of Besançon. In fact there are certain consonant details between this miniature and the Crucifixion in the Morgan manuscript: Christ's position and physicality are nearly identical as is the pattern of blood as it moves down the cross and both artists create a division in the landscape with the Morgan artist using gold rather than tessellation for his sky. Whoever the artist responsible for the present miniature the work here is clearly accomplished both quietly powerful and an excellent representation of a distinct regional style. unknown
1465réf. ST17243aBruges ca. 1465. 193 x 145 mm. 7 5/8 x 5 3/4". Single column 21 lines in a gothic book hand. Rubrics in red WITH THREE LARGE HISTORIATED INITIALS: ONE WITH A PORTRAIT OF CHRIST WEARING THE CROWN OF THORNS AND TWO WITH DISEMBODIED HANDS SHOWING THE STIGMATA each initial in pink or blue with white tracery filled with dark pink or blue with thin gilt lines and dots hands with wavy blue rays radiating from behind the appendage all within a thin gilt frame both sides with a three-quarter border consisting of hairline vines gold bezants and a few colorful flowers. ◆Margins with a little light soiling BUT IN FINE CONDITION THE PAINT OF THE INITIALS ESPECIALLY RICH AND WELL PRESERVED. From a manuscript probably produced in Bruges for the English market this leaf contains arresting initials that direct the viewer's attention to the wounds endured by Christ during the Passion. According to Roger Wieck Passion Cycle images enjoyed a particular vogue in 15th century Dutch Flemish and English Books of Hours including those that were exported to England. In the present example the strikingly unusual imagery includes a portrait of Christ wearing the Crown of Thorns his gaze fixed directly at the viewer and in separate initials his left and right hands appear disembodied and displaying the stigmata. A sister leaf to the present item features three additional initials showing the wounds of the left and right foot as well as the spear injury to Christ's side depicted as an oval piece of flesh with a laceration across the center. The parent manuscript containing the present leaf sold at Christie's on 15 November 2006 lot 16 the description for which gives us additional information about the book's contents and provenance: it was made for the Use of Sarum included a calendar with the English saint Thomas Becket and Popes Gregory and Silvester with their names crossed out indicating that it was in England through at least the time of the Reformation and contained an early ownership inscription of a woman named Bridget Lowe with a Middle English inscription on the pastedown. Christie's also attributed the parent manuscript to the workshop of William Vrelant with miniatures possibly by his chief assistant the Master of the "Vraie Cronique Descoce." They note that this work is "of higher quality than many of the works that satisfied the English demand for Netherlandish illumination" and that it "demonstrates why Vrelant appealed to the great bibliophiles of the Burgundian Netherlands." Vrelant was the leading purveyor of books of private devotion in Bruges during the third quarter of the 15th century and his prominent position among Flemish illuminators of the time is indicated by the considerable number of manuscripts illustrated in his manner by other miniaturists both in Bruges and in nearby cities in Flanders. Similar examples to the present leaf can be found in intact Books of Hours at the Philadelphia Free Library MS Widener 3 and the Huntington HM 1086--both of which were produced in Flanders or the Netherlands around the same time as the present work--but the present leaf surpasses both of these examples in terms of excellence of the artistic hand and level of detail depicted. unknown
réf. ST17245-02France probably Rouen second half of 15th century. 162 x 117 mm. 6 3/8 x 4 5/8". Single column 17 ruled lines text in a bâtarde hand. Text in gold blue and red "KL" in scrolling white letters on a gold ground with small blue and red blossoms both sides with panel border of acanthus flowers small ink dots and gold bezants WITH TWO SMALL MINIATURES showing the labor of the month Threshing on recto and the zodiac sign Virgo on verso. ◆Small wrinkle in lower margin just touching the lower edge of the miniatures trivial smudging but IN VERY FINE CONDITION the vellum especially clean and bright the paint quite rich and the miniatures extremely well preserved. With clean white vellum small but appealing miniatures and attractive lettering and decoration this is a desirable example of a calendar leaf from a high-quality Book of Hours likely made in Rouen. According to Roger Wieck far fewer than half the Books of Hours of the period contain illustrated calendars "even in manuscripts with otherwise lavish cycles of miniatures"; when they do appear they are invariably charming as is the case here. In the lower margin of the recto is a small miniature depicting the typical labor for August "Threshing" in which a young layman brings down his grain flail two hinged pieces of wood the longer one called a helve and the other a beater joined by a thong in an effort to separate the grain while neatly stacked unprocessed clumps of straw appear just behind it. On the verso we see a representation of Virgo as a young woman holding appropriately a long sheaf of grain in her hand. While most of the feast days that appear in the calendar are typical for the period the inclusion of St. Sauveur i.e. Transfiguratio Domini on 6 August is characteristic of a calendar for the use of Rouen suggesting that the parent manuscript may have been produced in that place or the region around it. unknown
réf. ST17245-04France possibly Rouen mid-15th century. 173 x 130 mm. 6 3/4 x 5 1/8". Single column 16 ruled lines text in a gothic book hand. Text in gold blue and dark pink "KL" in blue with white tracery on a gold ground decorated with dark pink baubles and leaves and with a floral spray extension both sides with panel border composed of densely packed acanthus flowers and hairline vines with gold bezants WITH A SMALL ROUNDEL MINIATURE at the bottom depicting the labor of the month Pruning set on a panel of flowers hairline vines and gold bezants. With numbering to the left of the golden numbers and a few calendar entries in a later hand. ◆Light soiling to vellum a few small smudges in the borders a little paint transfer affecting a couple lines of text and margins of the verso but these issues all very minor and on the whole in fine condition with a particularly well-preserved miniature with rich uneroded paint. With lovely panel borders and a particularly charming roundel miniature showing the labor of the month this leaf likely comes from a high-quality manuscript made for a person of means. Though miniatures depicting the labors of the month are often illustrated with just a single person performing the task here we are treated to two laypeople--a man and a woman--working together to prune and break ground in their field. The man appears to be carrying an axe for trimming branches while the woman carries a long stick to loosen dirt for spring plantings. The names of several saints have been added to the calendar by a later hand though it would appear that they were erroneously placed in March: St. Hugh belongs on 9 April Pope Leo on 11 April and St. Tiburtius on 14 April. While almost all of these feast days are commonly found in Books of Hours of this period Hugh Bishop of Rouen is slightly unusual suggesting that the manuscript may have been made in or at least ended up in Rouen. unknown
réf. ST17060VFrance probably Besançon 3rd quarter of 15th century. 239 x 165 mm. 9 3/8 x 6 1/2". Single column 15 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in dark pink line-enders in dark pink and blue with a gilt bezant several one-line initials in burnished gold on dark pink and blue ground with white tracery one three-line initial in blue with white tracery filled with flowers painted pink or blue all on a gold ground verso with panel border of delicate hairline vines terminating in gilt bezants and ivy and with a spray of blue flowers and a red bud recto with A FULLY-REALIZED HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF A BURIAL in an arch-topped gilt frame with two laymen lowering a shrouded corpse into the ground a small group of hooded monks to the left and two ecclesiastical figures reading from a book to the right all in front of a gothic church painted pink with a blue roof SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER consisting of hairline vines terminating in gold bezants and ivy colorful acanthus strawberries and blue flowers the text below the miniature further framed with a thin "U"-shaped line extending the full height of the miniature. A very few trivial imperfections quite minor wear to paint on clothing a little insignificant smudging one small light stain in the blank margin of verso but these defects not the least distracting and overall the miniature in fine condition with rich well-preserved color. This is a splendid miniature from a particularly large Book of Hours showing a detailed rendering of a scene from contemporary Medieval life--that of a burial in a churchyard involving clergy mourners and laymen. Apart from those relatively few copies with illustrated calendars the miniatures found in Books of Hours are almost entirely devoted to retrospective Bible scenes that are obviously outside the experience of the illuminator; it is only in the present kind of scene at the beginning of the Office of the Dead that we can see a contemporaneous image that would have come directly from the Medieval experience. While our painting is fairly typical in subject matter and design it offers a number of interesting details about the Medieval rites and rituals surrounding death. The present scene represents the final stage preceded by the funeral procession Requiem Mass prayers Absolution and the procession into the graveyard in which the body is actually laid to rest in the ground. Though the corpse would have been encased in a coffin during the aforementioned rites and processions it was customary to bury the dead in only a shroud in the present example the artist has even thought to show the stitching along the length of the shroud. Three groups of people each serving a different function appear in this miniature: in the foreground are two laborers lowering the body into an earthen grave a small group of mourners in black cloaks stand off to the left and a duo of clergy members stand to the right. The latter have tonsured heads and each wears a black cope donned prior to administering Absolution to the deceased; together they hold a manuscript containing the Rites for Burial. The background is composed of a grand church or cathedral containing a number of fine architectural details including several windows including a clerestory level an arched entrance a dome and decorative touches. Stylistically this leaf can be localized to the Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is closely related if not directly attributable to an atelier specializing in Books of Hours made for the Use of Besançon and most likely situated in that city see Avril and Reynaud p. 197. The similarities are especially apparent in the figures' faces which are slightly puffy in appearance and have distinct slit-like eyes. As noted by Avril and Reynaud the unnamed master of this atelier was deeply indebted to the Master of Morgan 293 a talented Burgundian illuminator active in the second quarter of the 15th century whose name derives from a particularly lovely Book of Hours made for the Use of Besançon. Whoever the artist responsible for the present miniature this work is an excellent representation of a distinct regional style extremely attractive and replete with interesting details that connect us to the Medieval experience. unknown
réf. ST12668bHNortheastern France probably Arras late 15th century. 146 x 95 mm. 5 3/4 x 3 3/4". Single column 15 lines in a pleasing bâtarde hand. Rubrics in red one- and two-line initials in brushed gold on a red or blue ground EACH SIDE OF LEAF WITH A BRUSHED GOLD PANEL BORDER WITH VERY PRETTY ILLUSIONISTIC FLOWERS AND FRUITS and intricate strapwork design in colors; WITH TWO SMALL MINIATURES measuring approximately 40 x 25 mm. depicting John the Baptist and John the Evangelist shown with their attributes. Headlines written in French in a later 18th century calligraphic hand. ◆Light soiling a touch of paint loss to frames and background not very noticeable and not affecting the figures otherwise an excellent specimen generally clean and smooth with ample margins winning decoration and shining gold. From a charmingly decorated 15th century prayer book this leaf offers the opportunity to acquire two particularly nice miniatures each depicting an important saint. The recto shows St. John the Baptist with a lamb at his side and a book balanced on his knee; and the verso depicts St. John the Evangelist as a young man holding a chalice with what ought to be snakes emerging from it in reference to the poisoned cup he was invited to drink as a test of faith but which instead look more like tendrils of smoke. For other leaves from this same manuscript please check our website. unknown
1460réf. ST12839Paris ca. 1460. 153 x 110 mm. 6 x 4 3/8". Single column 14 lines of text in a fine gothic book hand. One-line initial in burnished gold on a pink and blue ground with white tracery a two-line initial and a three-line initial in pink with white tracery on a ground of burnished gold the center filled with twining blue vines bearing pink and scarlet flowers verso with a rinceau panel border featuring twining hairline stems bearing burnished gold ivy leaves and fruit blue and gold acanthus leaves and flowers recto WITH AN ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE OF THE HOLY TRINITY SURROUNDED BY THE HEAVENLY HOST this and the accompanying text enclosed by a pink blue and burnished gold bar border on one side and a brushed gold bar border with pink lotus flowers on two sides the whole surrounded by A FULL RINCEAU BORDER DENSE WITH ACANTHUS LEAVES FOLIAGE FRUIT FLOWERS AND TINY GOLD BERRIES on hairline stems. ◆A little paint flaked from the book held by the Trinity a couple of small spots in the margin otherwise in fine condition--clean and smooth with comfortable margins and bright gold. The Trinity is shown here seated on a canopied throne with God the Son his hand raised in blessing to the left of the Father. The latter in a towering crown holds a gold orb and the Father and Son together support a large book opened between them. The dove of the Holy Spirit hovers above the book radiating golden beams. The Trinity is flanked on both sides by cherubim and seraphim in rich red and soft yellow. It is the rendering of this angelic ambiance that elevates the level of aesthetic achievement here: both red and yellow celestial beings are given a ghostly appearance as if appearing out of a filmy yellow or a densely red fog. The artistic qualities as a whole suggest that this leaf comes from a manuscript commissioned by a person of significant means. unknown
1450réf. ST11774-85Paris ca. 1450. 159 x 108 mm. 6 1/4 x 4 1/4". Single column four lines of text on the verso 15 on the recto in a very pleasing gothic book hand. Attractively matted. Recto with a line filler in colors and gold verso with a one-line initial in burnished gold on a maroon and blue background with white tracery and a three-line "D" in blue and white enclosing a spray of violets in the same colors the capital on a burnished gold ground the same side WITH A FULL SWIRLING BORDER of acanthus leaves flowers and berries and many burnished gold ivy leaves ENCLOSING A BLOODY ILLUMINATED MINIATURE OF THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS measuring approximately 78 x 54 mm. Fore and lower margins on the side with the miniature a bit rubbed and with a faint patina reflecting frequent use also minor fading and loss of paint and gold in the same place otherwise in fine condition THE MINIATURE itself REMARKABLY WELL PRESERVED WITHOUT ANY EROSION OF PIGMENT. This leaf comes from a Book of Hours decorated by extremely skilled members of what must have been a first-class workshop. The Massacre of the Innocents cannot help but be a moving subject and the composition here as well as the painter's considerable ability add to the emotional impact in the present miniature. The center of the scene is dominated by the gold-armored gray-bearded soldier whose sword is raised over the head of a woman clinging to her son. The blood-spattered foreground is littered with the dismembered bodies of infants looking like so many broken dolls. On the left we see a row of modest cottages providing considerable depth as they recede toward distant hills. On the right stands a crowd of grim-faced soldiers all as elderly as their commander and seemingly following orders that are unwelcomed; it is perhaps the acute sadness in their faces that makes this scene especially memorable. The clear sky green fields and serene blue mountains in the distance contrast markedly with the horrific events unfolding. unknown
1465réf. ST11151bBruges ca. 1465. 181 x 127 mm. 7 1/8 x 5". Single column 19 lines in a careful pleasing gothic book hand. In a very attractive new gilt wooden frame. Rubrics in pink or faded red one two-line initial in blue magenta and burnished gold two lines with undulating line fillers in blue and gold both sides of the leaf with a three-quarter panel border incorporating foliage blossoms and ivy leaves on hairline stems the vertical part of this frame with a bar border composed of colors and burnished gold terminating at top and bottom in colorful acanthus leaves and WITH TWO SMALL BUT VERY PLEASING MINIATURE PAINTINGS SAINT ELIZABETH ON THE RECTO AND SAINT GERTRUDE ON THE VERSO. ◆Tiny wormhole in fore edge where it has done negligible damage small portions of the blue paint in the Elizabeth miniature eroded gray paint slightly smeared as well but apparently at the time of painting otherwise in fine clean fresh condition. This leaf is characteristic work from the circle of Willem Vrelant the leading purveyor of books of private devotion in Bruges during the third quarter of the 15th century. His leading position among Flemish illuminators of the time is indicated by the considerable number of manuscripts illustrated in his manner by other miniaturists both in Bruges and in nearby cities in Flanders. The illuminator of our Book of Hours shows a number of distinctive stylistic traits. Among these are a preference for boldly patterned cloth backdrops tessellated flooring landscapes filled with stylized bushes and trees and persisting prominent architectural constructions that frame the subject frequently in a corner in these leaves it is a waist-high outdoor wall or an indoor feature resembling wainscoting. The inclination for strong geometrical patterning is manifested in the artist's angular treatment of human figures and their garments. Dressed in pink and blue Elizabeth is depicted with a sweet round face. She is saluted here as the woman worthy to be the mother of John the Baptist the forerunner of the Redeemer. Gertrude is dressed in monastic black although a pink undergarment is visible and her inky habit is trimmed in gold. This shimmering feature is a reminder that Gertrude 626-59 was the daughter of Pepin I of Landen Mayor of the Palace for the Frankish realm of Austrasia and the forebear of Charlemagne. Gertrude is a natural choice for illustration by an artist of Bruges since she was the patron of nearby Nivelles. The saint was routinely invoked for aid in coping with mice and is here shown surrounded by four animated rodents as black as her habit. No legend survives to explain why she had such power over the creatures who seem here to be more her pets one climbs her staff of office than her victims. unknown
réf. ST18310cGermany ca. 1100. 130 x 204 mm. 5 1/8 x 8". Single column 13 extant lines in a late Caroline hand. Rubrics in red. ◆Recovered from a binding and thus noticeably browned stained and vaguely wavy one side somewhat faded several small holes just two touching any letters other imperfections but still a very presentable specimen the ink especially dark on one side and legible on both. This is an early fragment in a distinctive hand lacking the heaviness of other scripts of the period and with a feeling of the elongated grace of the humanistic. Despite having previously been used as a binding scrap the fragment remains definitely readable partly because of the clarity of the scribal hand. Elected pope in 590 Gregory I ca. 540-604 also known as Gregory the Great was one of the most influential pontiffs in the history of the Church. In addition to revising liturgical worship he wrote extensively on theology offering homespun wisdom rather than esoteric debates. His "Homilies on the Gospels" were intended to be preached to common people rather than a monastic audience and as a consequence were greatly admired for their straightforward language and pastoral relevance. unknown
réf. ST18310bGermany ca. 1100. 120 x 200 mm. 4 3/4 x 8". Single column 21 extant lines in a late Caroline hand. ◆Recovered from a binding and thus noticeably browned and stained several small holes costing perhaps 30 letters other imperfections but still a very presentable specimen the ink dark and with loss of legibility in only one small place. This is an early fragment in a distinctive hand lacking the heaviness of other scripts of the period and with a feeling of the elongated grace of the humanistic. Despite having previously been used as a binding scrap the fragment remains extremely legible partly because of the clarity of the scribal hand. Elected pope in 590 Gregory I ca. 540-604 also known as Gregory the Great was one of the most influential pontiffs in the history of the Church. In addition to revising liturgical worship he wrote extensively on theology offering homespun wisdom rather than esoteric debates. His "Homilies on the Gospels" were intended to be preached to common people rather than a monastic audience and as a consequence were greatly admired for their straightforward language and pastoral relevance. unknown
réf. ST12668bKNortheastern France probably Arras late 15th century. 146 x 95 mm. 5 3/4 x 3 3/4". Single column 15 lines in a pleasing bâtarde hand. Rubrics in red one- and two-line initials in brushed gold on a red or blue ground EACH SIDE OF EACH LEAF WITH A BRUSHED GOLD PANEL BORDER WITH VERY PRETTY ILLUSIONISTIC FLOWERS and one panel with acanthus apparently unfinished; EACH LEAF WITH ONE SMALL MINIATURE measuring approximately 40 x 25 mm. DEPICTING SAINTS. Headlines written in French in a later 18th century calligraphic hand. ◆Light soiling otherwise excellent specimens generally clean and smooth with ample margins and attractive decoration. From a charmingly decorated 15th century prayer book these lovely leaves offer the opportunity to acquire a miniature andconsiderable gold ornamentation at an attainable price. One leaf depicts Sts. Peter and Paul in a single frame and the other shows St. Vedast or Waast--a saint that was particularly venerated in France especially in the Arras region whence we be believe these leaves originated. For other leaves from this same manuscript please check our website. unknown
réf. ST12668bJNortheastern France probably Arras late 15th century. 146 x 95 mm. 5 3/4 x 3 3/4". Single column 15 lines in a pleasing bâtarde hand. Rubrics in red one- and two-line initials in brushed gold on a red or blue ground EACH SIDE OF EACH LEAF WITH A BRUSHED GOLD PANEL BORDER WITH VERY PRETTY ILLUSIONISTIC FLOWERS; EACH LEAF WITH TWO SMALL MINIATURES measuring approximately 40 x 25 mm. depicting saints shown with their attributes. Headlines written in French in a later 18th century calligraphic hand. ◆Light soiling rubrics faded otherwise excellent specimens generally clean and smooth with ample margins attractive decoration and shining gold. From a charmingly decorated 15th century prayer book these lovely leaves offer the opportunity to acquire a miniature and considerable gold ornamentation at an attainable price. One leaf depicts St. Andrew holding an "X" shaped cross and St. Etienne i.e. St. Stephen here shown with three stones on his body and the other shows St. Remigius the so-called "Apostle of the Franks" and St. Quentin--a saint that was particularly venerated in France especially in the north whence we be believe these leaves originated. For other leaves from this same manuscript please check our website. unknown
réf. ST13657aFrance second half of the 13th century. Each leaf measures 330 x 240 mm. 13 x 9 3/8". Double column 38 lines of text in a proto-gothic hand. Rubrics in red running title and numerous paragraph marks in red and blue one leaf with one two-line initial in blue with red pen flourishes. Margins with several text corrections one leaf with a catch-word. Faint soiling and a few negligible stains touching text not affecting legibility but overall FINE SPECIMENS with very few flaws. Containing part of a popular treatise on the Vices these well-preserved and attractive large format leaves come from a manuscript that may have been contemporary to the life of the author William Perault ca. 1190-1270. Although the so-called "Seven Deadly Sins" that we still recognize today remained a popular moral paradigm throughout the Middle Ages it was by no means canonical. Authors were free to borrow manipulate and elaborate on the topic at will resulting in a profusion of treatises and competing systems of morality. This work by Perault Latin: Peraldus was a particularly prominent treatise that not only survived the Middle Ages but later went into print in several editions. The "Summa of Vice" expounds upon the Seven with which most of us are familiar--Pride Envy Anger Sloth Greed Gluttony and Lust--but it also includes an eighth sin which Perault called "peccatum linguae" or "the sin of the tongue." The present leaves consider the sin of Pride Superbia the most severe and dangerous of all the vices in Medieval imagery it is often depicted as the root of all other sins with some interesting discussion of garish dress make-up hair coloring and wigs. unknown
réf. ST20617dAustria Salzburg second half of 12th century. 321 x 218 mm. 12 5/8 x 8 5/8". Single column 27 lines in a lovely proto-gothic hand top two lines in red or black uncials. Rubrics and numbers in red two one-line initials in red with A LARGE 115 mm. IMAGE OF JOSEPH WEARING HIS COAT OF MANY COLORS the body outlined in brown ink and the coat outlined in red. Lower margin of recto with a 20th century note in red ink see below. Recovered from a binding and thus with overall darkening on the recto and with nothing readable on the verso bottom line of text a bit damaged because of crease through it a few small holes two corners trimmed one or two letters of final line of text lost but more than half of the Joseph figure including the face still visible and the text on the recto entirely legible. Containing a beautiful proto-gothic script and a rare figurative Romanesque initial this leaf is a particularly desirable example of early Austrian manuscript production. The text here is as neatly noted in German at the tail edge of the recto Genesis 37:2-10 the beginning of the story of Joseph the 17-year-old son of Jacob here called Israel and his second wife Rachel. In the well-known biblical account Joseph is his father's favorite of 12 sons and the patriarch gives him a beautiful coat of many colors making his brothers jealous. Joseph here intensifies their dislike of him by recounting to his brothers two of his dreams in which sheaves of grain and then various celestial bodies bowed down to him. Dream or reality the images did not sit well with the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery. Although once the leaf was reused as binding material we can nevertheless make out an historiated "I" in the form of Joseph as a young man including an outline of his multi-colored coat. It is difficult to say with certainty whether the initial would originally have been washed with color or composed solely as a line drawing but whatever the case we are lucky to have so much of it intact. With his long flowing hair semi-nude body and hand placed delicately on his hip Joseph is depicted in quite a seductive manner and the simple line-drawing further emphasizes the body's curves and lithe appearance. Romanesque initials with historiation are not nearly as common as decorative ones and the present depiction is especially unusual. While illustrations of Joseph do appear in other manuscripts of this period they tend to focus on specific events from the biblical narrative--particularly those that lend themselves to the tradition of Joseph as a prefiguration of Christ such as Joseph being thrown into the pit or revealing his identity to his brothers. The present example by contrast is all about the presentation of the figure. This leaf almost certainly belonged to a Lectionary owned by a Romanesque church in Salzburg a manuscript that was later dismembered for use in bookbinding. According to the source from which we purchased this leaf it was shown in 1893 to the Medieval historian and later the Abbot of St. Peter's Salzburg Willibald Hauthaler 1843-1922 who wrote the identification in red ink along the lower edge. It was later owned by the Salzburg-based merchant artist and collector Carl von Frey 1826-96. It appeared at Christie's in 2010 where along with five sister leaves it sold for £13970. unknown books
1460réf. ST12835Paris ca. 1460. 195 x 143 mm. 7 3/4 x 5 1/2". Single column 16 lines in a gothic book hand. Minor feast days in red and blue major feasts in gold numerous gold and painted line fillers the five "A" initials and the "KL" highly decorative and painted pink and blue against a gold background gold and pink bar surrounding the text on three sides BOTH SIDES OF THE LEAF WITH EXTRAVAGANTLY DECORATIVE BOTANICAL FULL BORDERS with two small birds hidden within and INCORPORATING TWO MEDALLION MINIATURES DEPICTING THE LABOR OF THE MONTH SOWING AND THE SIGN OF THE ZODIAC SCORPIO FOR OCTOBER. ◆IN VERY FINE FRESH CONDITION with gold and paint extraordinarily bright. The extraordinarily lavish and animated full borders coupled here with extensive use of brushed and burnished gold--for major feast days for decorative border elements and even for the hundreds of seeds being sown!--suggests that this calendar folio comes from a Book of Hours that was commissioned for a person or persons of high rank since it would have been very costly. The leaf comes from a manuscript that included numerous roundels depicting the lives of St. Catherine and the more obscure St. Alexius and it is possible that the Book of Hours belonged to a husband and wife for whom these saints served as patrons. The style of the delicately painted figures especially in the roundels indicates an artist who was familiar with the early output of the Coëtivy Master who according to Avril and Renaud can be identified with Colin d'Amiens who made a great name for himself in Paris not as was previously thought with Henri de Vulcop who made a great name for himself in the Loire region. The master takes his name from the Book of Hours now in the Austrian national library that he painted for Olivier de Coëtivy and his wife Marie de Valois one of some 30 works that have been identified as his. Although there is considerable Flemish influence that can be seen in his work he has links for example with Simon Marmion Colin d'Amiens was active in Paris during the third quarter of the 15th century and with Barthélmy van Eyck and Jean Fouquet was among the three great artists of this period patronized by the French court--Avril and Renaud says flatly that our master was "the most important artist practising in Paris in the third quarter of the century from about 1450 to 1485." For more on the Coëtivy Master see Avril and Reynaud pp. 58-69. unknown books
réf. ST20617dAustria Salzburg second half of 12th century. 321 x 218 mm. 12 5/8 x 8 5/8". Single column 27 lines in a lovely proto-gothic hand top two lines in red or black uncials. Rubrics and numbers in red two one-line initials in red with A LARGE 115 mm. IMAGE OF JOSEPH WEARING HIS COAT OF MANY COLORS the body outlined in brown ink and the coat outlined in red. Lower margin of recto with a 20th century note in red ink see below. Recovered from a binding and thus with overall darkening on the recto and with nothing readable on the verso bottom line of text a bit damaged because of crease through it a few small holes two corners trimmed one or two letters of final line of text lost but more than half of the Joseph figure including the face still visible and the text on the recto entirely legible. Containing a beautiful proto-gothic script and a rare figurative Romanesque initial this leaf is a particularly desirable example of early Austrian manuscript production. The text here is as neatly noted in German at the tail edge of the recto Genesis 37:2-10 the beginning of the story of Joseph the 17-year-old son of Jacob here called Israel and his second wife Rachel. In the well-known biblical account Joseph is his father's favorite of 12 sons and the patriarch gives him a beautiful coat of many colors making his brothers jealous. Joseph here intensifies their dislike of him by recounting to his brothers two of his dreams in which sheaves of grain and then various celestial bodies bowed down to him. Dream or reality the images did not sit well with the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery. Although once the leaf was reused as binding material we can nevertheless make out an historiated "I" in the form of Joseph as a young man including an outline of his multi-colored coat. It is difficult to say with certainty whether the initial would originally have been washed with color or composed solely as a line drawing but whatever the case we are lucky to have so much of it intact. With his long flowing hair semi-nude body and hand placed delicately on his hip Joseph is depicted in quite a seductive manner and the simple line-drawing further emphasizes the body's curves and lithe appearance. Romanesque initials with historiation are not nearly as common as decorative ones and the present depiction is especially unusual. While illustrations of Joseph do appear in other manuscripts of this period they tend to focus on specific events from the biblical narrative--particularly those that lend themselves to the tradition of Joseph as a prefiguration of Christ such as Joseph being thrown into the pit or revealing his identity to his brothers. The present example by contrast is all about the presentation of the figure. This leaf almost certainly belonged to a Lectionary owned by a Romanesque church in Salzburg a manuscript that was later dismembered for use in bookbinding. According to the source from which we purchased this leaf it was shown in 1893 to the Medieval historian and later the Abbot of St. Peter's Salzburg Willibald Hauthaler 1843-1922 who wrote the identification in red ink along the lower edge. It was later owned by the Salzburg-based merchant artist and collector Carl von Frey 1826-96. It appeared at Christie's in 2010 where along with five sister leaves it sold for £13970. unknown
1460réf. ST12835Paris ca. 1460. 195 x 143 mm. 7 3/4 x 5 1/2". Single column 16 lines in a gothic book hand. Minor feast days in red and blue major feasts in gold numerous gold and painted line fillers the five "A" initials and the "KL" highly decorative and painted pink and blue against a gold background gold and pink bar surrounding the text on three sides BOTH SIDES OF THE LEAF WITH EXTRAVAGANTLY DECORATIVE BOTANICAL FULL BORDERS with two small birds hidden within and INCORPORATING TWO MEDALLION MINIATURES DEPICTING THE LABOR OF THE MONTH SOWING AND THE SIGN OF THE ZODIAC SCORPIO FOR OCTOBER. ◆IN VERY FINE FRESH CONDITION with gold and paint extraordinarily bright. The extraordinarily lavish and animated full borders coupled here with extensive use of brushed and burnished gold--for major feast days for decorative border elements and even for the hundreds of seeds being sown!--suggests that this calendar folio comes from a Book of Hours that was commissioned for a person or persons of high rank since it would have been very costly. The leaf comes from a manuscript that included numerous roundels depicting the lives of St. Catherine and the more obscure St. Alexius and it is possible that the Book of Hours belonged to a husband and wife for whom these saints served as patrons. The style of the delicately painted figures especially in the roundels indicates an artist who was familiar with the early output of the Coëtivy Master who according to Avril and Renaud can be identified with Colin d'Amiens who made a great name for himself in Paris not as was previously thought with Henri de Vulcop who made a great name for himself in the Loire region. The master takes his name from the Book of Hours now in the Austrian national library that he painted for Olivier de Coëtivy and his wife Marie de Valois one of some 30 works that have been identified as his. Although there is considerable Flemish influence that can be seen in his work he has links for example with Simon Marmion Colin d'Amiens was active in Paris during the third quarter of the 15th century and with Barthélmy van Eyck and Jean Fouquet was among the three great artists of this period patronized by the French court--Avril and Renaud says flatly that our master was "the most important artist practising in Paris in the third quarter of the century from about 1450 to 1485." For more on the Coëtivy Master see Avril and Reynaud pp. 58-69. unknown
1429réf. ST12778-0360Italy 1429. 323 x 173 mm. 12 3/4 x 6 3/4". Single column 60 lines in a neat cursive script. Notarial signature at lower left; verso with a date and notations in contemporary hands. ◆Vellum trimmed a little close four horizontal and three vertical fold creases slight darkening to verso five very small holes no text obscured and one larger naturally-occurring hole in the text otherwise in excellent condition with a very clear hand. This is a notarized document recording an agreement made between the chapel and convent i.e. the whole community of the house of St. John a group of female religious located in the parish of St. Peter and the brothers of Bonsignioribus another religious house in the parish of St. Laurence Major. The women of St. John agree to pay to the brothers of Bonsignioribus a sum of 11 libras 8 soldas and 9 denarios. The reason for this payment is unclear pending further investigation into some of the more abbreviated portions of the text. The document is of additional interest for the fact that several female members of the house of St. John are mentioned by name. Based on these names and that of the notary Ambrosius Spanzota . . . Parmensis it would appear that the document was written in Italy possibly in Parma and that the two houses were also located there. unknown books
1429réf. ST12778-0360Italy 1429. 323 x 173 mm. 12 3/4 x 6 3/4". Single column 60 lines in a neat cursive script. Notarial signature at lower left; verso with a date and notations in contemporary hands. ◆Vellum trimmed a little close four horizontal and three vertical fold creases slight darkening to verso five very small holes no text obscured and one larger naturally-occurring hole in the text otherwise in excellent condition with a very clear hand. This is a notarized document recording an agreement made between the chapel and convent i.e. the whole community of the house of St. John a group of female religious located in the parish of St. Peter and the brothers of Bonsignioribus another religious house in the parish of St. Laurence Major. The women of St. John agree to pay to the brothers of Bonsignioribus a sum of 11 libras 8 soldas and 9 denarios. The reason for this payment is unclear pending further investigation into some of the more abbreviated portions of the text. The document is of additional interest for the fact that several female members of the house of St. John are mentioned by name. Based on these names and that of the notary Ambrosius Spanzota . . . Parmensis it would appear that the document was written in Italy possibly in Parma and that the two houses were also located there. unknown
réf. ST17586Abbey of St. Oyan at St.-Claude du Jura France ca. 1175. 245 x 158 mm. 9 3/4 x 6 1/4". Single column of text with two columns of gloss text column with 26 lines in a fine proto-gothic book hand. Verso with scant remnants of mounting tape in a couple of places along one edge. See Gwara Handlist no. 77. ◆Upper margin of fore edge unevenly trimmed away but no text lost a dozen-and-a-half small round wormholes touching just a couple letters light soiling to edges and other minor imperfections but still IN FINE CONDITION the vellum very clean and the ink dark and legible. The most important innovation in biblical scholarship during the 12th century was the development of the "Glossa Ordinaria" to the Bible. Drawing on the whole earlier tradition of biblical exegesis but especially that of Latin patristic writers like Augustine and Jerome scholars working in the French cathedral schools of Laon and Paris systematized this material in an apparatus of marginal and interlinear glosses arranged around the relevant biblical passages. The present leaf showing a particularly beautiful and regular script is a lovely example of one such work. The biblical text appearing in the center column is differentiated by larger lettering and gloss appears interlineally and in a column on either side of the main text all in smaller lettering by the same hand. Scott Gwara notes that the parent manuscript was formerly in the Medieval library of St. Oyan at St.-Claude du Jura a Benedictine monastery founded as the Abbey of Condat around 425 and later known as St. Oyen after an obscure saint who served as Condat's fourth abbot. In the 13th century it was renamed St.-Claude. By the 20th century the manuscript was in the collection of William L. Clements d. 1934 the bulk of which was sold by his estate between 1934-37. The manuscript was then acquired and dismembered by biblioclast Otto Ege around 1939. Gwara notes that the manuscript was incomplete by the time it reached Ege containing only 80 leaves but was "otherwise in excellent condition." The present leaf certainly attests to this assertion being extremely clean bright and with comfortable margins. unknown books
réf. ST17586Abbey of St. Oyan at St.-Claude du Jura France ca. 1175. 245 x 158 mm. 9 3/4 x 6 1/4". Single column of text with two columns of gloss text column with 26 lines in a fine proto-gothic book hand. Verso with scant remnants of mounting tape in a couple of places along one edge. See Gwara Handlist no. 77. ◆Upper margin of fore edge unevenly trimmed away but no text lost a dozen-and-a-half small round wormholes touching just a couple letters light soiling to edges and other minor imperfections but still IN FINE CONDITION the vellum very clean and the ink dark and legible. The most important innovation in biblical scholarship during the 12th century was the development of the "Glossa Ordinaria" to the Bible. Drawing on the whole earlier tradition of biblical exegesis but especially that of Latin patristic writers like Augustine and Jerome scholars working in the French cathedral schools of Laon and Paris systematized this material in an apparatus of marginal and interlinear glosses arranged around the relevant biblical passages. The present leaf showing a particularly beautiful and regular script is a lovely example of one such work. The biblical text appearing in the center column is differentiated by larger lettering and gloss appears interlineally and in a column on either side of the main text all in smaller lettering by the same hand. Scott Gwara notes that the parent manuscript was formerly in the Medieval library of St. Oyan at St.-Claude du Jura a Benedictine monastery founded as the Abbey of Condat around 425 and later known as St. Oyen after an obscure saint who served as Condat's fourth abbot. In the 13th century it was renamed St.-Claude. By the 20th century the manuscript was in the collection of William L. Clements d. 1934 the bulk of which was sold by his estate between 1934-37. The manuscript was then acquired and dismembered by biblioclast Otto Ege around 1939. Gwara notes that the manuscript was incomplete by the time it reached Ege containing only 80 leaves but was "otherwise in excellent condition." The present leaf certainly attests to this assertion being extremely clean bright and with comfortable margins. unknown
réf. 665- broché - Editions Comp'Act - Collection Morari, dirigée par Henri Poncet - Edition originale - Septembre 1993 - In-8 (21,5 x 10,5 cm) brochage par agrafes, sous jaquette, dans le cartonnage de l'éditeur - 25 pages - ISBN : 2-87661-077-9 - L'autrice est nommée Malika B. Durif dans cet ouvrage - Exemplaire tiré sur chiffon Yearling
