Dr. Jörn Günther • Antiquariat
www.guenther-rarebooks.com

CONTENTS

Illuminated manuscripts

  1. Canones conciliorum, written by an insular scribe,
    Northern Italy, c. 775
  2. Psalter, so-called Bernwardpsalter,
    Germany, Hildesheim, c. 1020
  3. Gospel Lectionary, Byzantium,
    Constantinople,c. 1100
  4. St Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, Upper
    Austria, Lambach Abbey, second half 12th century
  5. Vita Christi, Life of Christ and of the Virgin,
    Northern England,York, c.1190-1200,
    and East Anglia, Norfolk, c.1480-90
  6. Antiphonary, illuminated choirbook, Italy,Venice
    (San Marco), c. 1250 (between 1238 and 1264)
  7. Psalter and biblia latina with the interpretation
    of the Hebrew names, France, Lorraine, Metz, c. 1250
  8. Psalter for the use of Brussels, Northern France,
    Paris, c. 1260
  9. Biblia latina with the interpretations of
    the Hebrew names, Southern France,Toulouse,
    last quarter of the 13th century
  10. Psalter, illuminiated for Gui de Dampierre,
    Southern Netherlands, Bruges, c. 1280
  11. Speculum humanae salvationis, illuminated
    with pen-and-ink drawings by Magister Konrad,
    Austria, before 1386
  12. Book of hours, use of Chartres, illuminated by
    the Bedford workshop, France, Paris, c. 1400-10
  13. Psalter, Spain, Barcelona, shortly after 1400
    and c. 1440-50
  14. Book of hours, use of Rome, illuminated by
    Pseudo-Jacquemart, France, Paris, c. 1410
  15. The so-called Wardington Hours, hours of
    the Passion, illuminated by the Bedford workshop,
    France, Paris, c. 1410 and 1430
  16. Wirnt von Grafenberg, Wigalois (manuscript k),
    illustrated by the circle of the Workshop of 1418
    and of Diebold Lauber,Alsace, c. 1420-30
  17. I.Thomas de Chobham, Summa de poenitentia,
    dat. 1422; II. Stephan Palecz, Utilia contra errantes;
    III. Johannes Andreae, Processus iudicalis – et al.;
    Austria, Seitenstetten, c. 1422
  18. Joachim di Fiore Vaticinia sive Prophetiae
    et Imagines Summorum Pontificum,
    illustrated by the workshop of Lorenzo
    di Pietro ‘Il Vecchietta’, Benvenuto di Giovanni,
    Italy, Siena, c. 1450 and c. 1464
  19. Bruder Philipp, Marienleben
    and other texts, Upper Rhine, c. 1450
  20. German prayerbook with metalcuts, Germany,
    Cologne and Tyrol, Diocese of Brixen,
    dated 1458
  21. Book of hours, use of Paris, illuminated by
    the Master of Jacques de Luxembourg, France,
    Paris, c. 1460-70
  22. Book of hours, use of Rome, illuminated by the
    Master of Marguerite de Liederkerke, Flanders,
    Hainault, Mons or Valenciennes, c. 1500
  23. Croy-Arenberg Book of Hours, use of Sarum,
    with miniatures by the Master of Sir George
    Talbot, the Master of the First Prayer Book of
    Maximilian and the Master of the David Scenes
    in the Grimani Breviary, Flanders, Ghent,
    1505 and c. 1510-20
  24. Berault Stuart (Bernard Stewart),
    Traité sur l’art de la guerre, Northern France, Paris,
    second quarter 16th century
  25. Battista Agnese, Portolan Atlas, Italy,Venice,
    signed and dated 5 February 1544


    26. Early Prints

  26. Nativity, Single-leaf print, Southern Germany,
    c. 1440
  27. The Good Sheperd – ihesus xpristus,
    Single-leaf print, Southern Germany,
    West-Swabian, c. 1460-70
  28. Block-book – Ars Memorandi per figuras
    Evangelistarum, first print of first edition,
    Southern Germany, Nuremberg, c. 1470
  29. Block-book – Der Antichrist und die fünfzehn Zeichen
    Germany, Nuremberg: Hans Briefmaler 1472,
    second edition, i.e. Hans Sporer, 1470
  30. Celestial vision at Constantinople. Kunt und
    wissennt sey allermeniglich das ein sölich geschicht
    unnd erschreckliches erschein gesehen ist worden hinter
    Canstantinopel ..., Single leaf print, Southern
    Germany, Nuremberg c. 1491
  31. Biblia Latina – A single leaf,Mainz: Johann
    Gutenberg and Johann Fust,‘c. 1454/55’; rather 1452-1454
  32. Psalterium Benedictum Congregationis Bursfeldensis
    – A single leaf, Mainz: Johann Fust
    and Peter Schöffer, 29 August 1459
  33. I.Thomas de Aquino. Summa de articulis fidei,
    Mainz: Printer of the Catholicon before 1460
    or Peter Schöffer c. 1469
    II. Matthaeus de Cracovia. Dialogus rationis
    et conscientiae de frequenti usu Communionis,
    Mainz: see above, c. 1469;
    III.Antoninus Florentinus. Confessionale:
    Defecerunt.With: Johannes Chrysostomus. Sermo
    de poenitentia, Cologne: Ulrich Zell, c. 1470
  34. Johannes Balbus, Catholicon, Mainz: printer of
    the Catholicon, probably Gutenberg workshop
    1460, c. 1472, or 1469
  35. Rudimentum Novitiorum, Lubeck: Lucas Brandis,
    5 August 1475
  36. Speculum humanae salvationis, German:
    ein spiegel der menschlichen behaltnisze,
    Basel: Bernhard Richel, 31 August 1476
  37. Conrad von Megenberg, Das buch der Natur,
    Augsburg: Johann Bämler, 20 August 1481
  38. Auslegung – Messe singen oder lesen wer
    das thun sol, wenn, wie oder wo, Nuremberg:
    Friedrich Creussner, not after 1482
  39. Jacobus de Theramo, Belial. Cy commence le proces
    de Belial a l’encontre de Ihesus. Lyon, Mathias Huss:
    19 May 1486
  40. Compilation of ten French
    literary incunabula, Paris, 1488-c. 95, among them Olivier
    de la Marche, Le Chevalier Délibéré. Paris: Guy Marchand
    or Antoine Caillaut for Antoine Vérard,
    8 August 1488
  41. Olivier de la Marche. Le Chevalier Délibéré,
    Gouda, printer of the Chevalier délibéré,
    Collaciebroeders, after 31 October 1489
  42. Petrus de Crescentiis, Ruralia commoda.
    In commodum ruralium cum figuris libri duodecim,
    Speyer: Peter Drach, not before 1493
  43. Alanus de Rupe, Von dem psalter unnd Rosen
    krancz unser lieben frauen.Wie man den beten sol,
    Augsburg: Anton Sorg, 1492
  44. Der Doten dantz mit figuren. Clage und
    Antwort schon von allen staten der welt,
    Mainz: Jacob Meydenbach, c. 1492
  45. Fiore di virtů. Questa sie una utilissima operetta
    acada uno fidel christiano chiamata fior de virtu,Venice:
    Matteo Capcasa di Codeca, 15 January 1493
  46. Christophorus Columbus, De insulis nuper
    in mari Indico inventis, and Carolus Verardus,
    Historia Baetica. In laudem Serenissimi
    Ferdinandi Hispaniarum regis Bethicae & regni
    Granatae obsidio, victoria & triumphus,
    Basel: Johann Bergmann von Olpe, 1494
  47. Scriptores Astronomici veteres: Julius Firmicus
    Maternus, Mathesis and other Greek and Roman
    astronomical texts,Venice:Aldus Manutius, 1499
  48. a: La dance macabre des hommes, Paris,
    widow of Jehan Treperel and Jehan Jehannot,
    c. 1512-22 234

     b: La dance macabre des femmes toutes
    hystories & augmentee de nouveau, Paris,
    Jehan Treperel (II), c. 1525-32
  49. Martin Luther, Das newe testament deutzsch,
    Wittenberg: Melchior Lotter, 1524
  50. Aurelius Theodosius Macrobius, In somnium
    Scipionis libri II. Saturnaliorum libri VII.
    Basel: Johannes Herwagen the Elder, 1535

    Key to bibliographical references

A little known manuscript made at the zenith of Byzantine illuminated Lectionary production

3 Gospel Lectionary Illuminated manuscript on vellum. Byzantium, Constantinople, c. 1100.

Illuminated manuscript on vellum. Byzantium, Constantinople, c. 1100.

355 x 268 mm. 313 leaves, complete. – Written space 240 x 184 mm, 24 lines of text in two columns.The main script is a regular ‘Perlschrift’. Ruling pattern with doubled horizontals in the upper and lower margins, and doubled verticals at the outer margin of the written block.The principal headings on the decorated pages are written in ‘epigraphic display script’ in gold. Many of the Alexandrian uncial passages are also written in gold. Ekphonetic notation to guide the delivery of the lections is supplied throughout by the original scribe. It takes the form of neumes in gold on the incipit pages. Illuminated headbands in the Menologion section, and numerous enlarged initials (some of them historiated), the decoration is constructed partly geometrically, and on the basis of highly stylised vegetal forms. Four evangelist portraits surrounded by richly decorated borders. – First miniature somewhat worn, the others in very good condition. – Binding of dark brown
leather on wooden boards by the Parisian firm Petit-Simier (19th century). Medallion-decorated edges with busts of haloed saints (three on the top and bottom edges, four on the fore-edge) within a vinescroll on a gilded ground.This type of edge decoration is highly unusual; there is no other comparable example known.

PROVENANCE:
1. Chrysanthos Notaras, Patriarch of Jerusalem (1707-31). 2. The Romanian scholar and collector of greek manuscripts Constantin Erbiceanu (1838-1913) acquired the manuscript in 1866 and may have sold it in Paris 1868. 3. Claudin, Parisian bookseller, his cat. of May 1877. 4. Henri Bordier (d. 1888) at Châtelaine-Aïre, near Geneva in Switzerland. 5. Baron Fernand de Schickler. 6. Société biblique protestante.The manuscript was presented to the Société biblique by Schickler before 1898 (Omont 1898, p. 390). 7. Now: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

TEXT: fol. I-II: modern leaves, blank – fol. 1-2: reused 10th century bifolio, text of John Chrysostom – fol. 3-42v: Lections from John for Easter Sunday to Pentecost – fol. 42v: later note (18th century?) referring to liturgical use – fol. 43-108: Lections from Matthew – fol. 108v: blank – fol. 109-189v: Lections from Luke – fol. 188: Lections for vigils of first week of Lent – fol. 190: blank, with later notes – fol. 190v: blank – fol. 191: Lections from Mark – fol. 223v: Twelve Gospels of the Passion (last lection included only as a reference) – fol. 242: Gospels of the Hours of Good Friday – fol. 247: Liturgy of Good Friday – fol. 251: Orthros of Holy Saturday – fol. 251: Liturgy of Holy Saturday – fol. 253: Menologion – fol. 305: various lections according to the liturgical pattern of the Great Church (St Sophia) – fol. 307: Eleven Anastasis lections – fol. 310: end of text; later liturgical notes added (15th century?) – fol. 310v: blank – fol. 311- 312v: reused bifolio (text of Metaphrastian Menologion, in an 11th or 12th century hand) – fol. 313: reused pastedown (text of John Chrysostom, probably 14th century). The present manuscript is an example of a ‘complete’ Byzantine Gospel Lectionary. Lectionaries have lections for the entire movable year, starting with the opening of St John’s Gospel on Easter Sunday (synaxarion), followed by lections for the fixed calendar, starting on 1 September (menologion). The menologion here, by its choice of commemorations and the inclusion of certain rubrics, indicates Constantinople, and a close connection to the Great Church of St Sophia, the seat of the patriarch.The manuscript follows a pattern of lections in its menologion characteristic of a small sub-group of high quality illuminated lectionaries, identified by Dolezal (1996, pp. 25, 59-60) and Masuda (2003), which contain clear evidence that they were prepared for use of St Sophia. Among these manuscripts the closest affinity is with the calendars in Vatican,Vat. gr. 1156;Venice, S. Giorgio dei Greci, ms. 2; and Paris, BN, suppl. gr. 1096, the latter a dated manuscript of 1070 produced by a scribe of the school of the Chalkopratai in Constantinople (Spatharakis 1981, no. 160).There are some saints included in the lectionary who are neither found in the typicon nor in the synaxarion of Constantinople, such as Makarios of Jerusalem. On occasions the absentee is explained because he postdates the composition of the typikon and synaxarion (roughly mid-10th century in form), such as Eustathios, patriarch of Constantinople (1019-25).The related lectionaries share these commemorations. There can be no question, therefore, that the present lectionary was made for use in the same context as those three: either in St Sophia itself or in one of the surrounding churches that followed the liturgy of St Sophia. Further research on the calendar might clarify the use of all four manuscripts.

ILLUMINATION: fol. 3: St John; initial ‘E’ with a haloed figure – fol. 43: St Matthew; initial ‘E’ with Christ who addresses a small boy – fol. 109: St Luke; initial ‘T’ with John the Baptist and in the border Herodes and his wife Herodias – fol. 191: St Mark; Initial ‘T’ with Christ. The four opening pages are decorated with a large miniature, a headpiece, a richly decorated border, golden display script and a historiated initial.The subjects of the historiated initials are inspired by the beginnings of the texts.The evangelists are depicted writing in front of a gilded background and pieces of architecture. The miniatures are surrounded by richly decorated borders of blue trefoils of the type characteristic of so-called ‘Byzantine blossom’. The miniatures have been rendered with superlative craftsmanship, so the manuscript is without any doubt a major addition to our knowledge of Byzantine illumination.

LITERATURE: Bordier 1883; Omont 1898, Addenda, p. 390; Gregory, I, Leipzig, 1900-1909, p. 418; Soden 1902, I, p. 173; exh. cat. Paris 1958, p. 27, no. 42; Richard 21958, p. 188; Astruc 1959, pp. 85-86; Lazarev 1967, p. 253, no. 51; Voicu/D’Alisera 1981, pp. 467-468; Aland/Welte/Köster/ Junack 21994, p. 240, siglum l 351; Olivier 1995, p. 653. Omont 1929;Weitzmann 1954, pp. 358-373; Der Nersessian 1965, pp. 155-183; Velmans 1971; Spatharakis 1981; Weitzmann/ Galavaris 1990; Hutter 1993; Corrigan 1996, pp. 61- 93; Dolezal 1996, pp. 23-60; Rados 2000, pp. 113-137; Masuda/Ebihara 2003.