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 virtù. 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 large 13th century-Bible from the Doheny collection

9 Biblia latina with the interpretations of the Hebrew names

Illuminated manuscript on vellum. Southern France (Toulouse?), last quarter of the 13th century.

356 x 242 mm. 533 leaves (including one blank), plus modern flyleaves, complete: I-XLIII12, XLIV10, XLV8-1 (blank VIII cancelled), early foliation (followed here) beginning at fol. 4 (Genesis). Horizontal catchwords in red cartouches. – Written space 228 x 147 mm, double columns of 53 lines.Written in a Southern Textualis Libraria in brown and dark brown ink, ruled in plummet, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red. One-line capitals in Psalms and the Interpretation of Hebrew names alternately red and blue, two-line chapter initials throughout alternately red and blue with contrasting red, blue and purple penwork. Approximately 69 large illuminated initials in elaborate foliage designs, often including dragon, animal or human heads and long marginal extensions, in pink, red and blue on pink and blue grounds with touches of orange, green and yellow, fine white-line tracery and burnished gold bezants. 78 large historiated initials in burnished gold frames on blue and pink grounds with foliage and grotesque extensions, including three full-length initials (fol. i, 1, and 391v). – Marginal corrections in contemporary hands in black and brown ink, guide numbers for chapter numbering in outer margins. Some creasing and slight spotting of margins, occasional medieval repairs, staining and worming of first three folios, in general in very fine condition with wide margins. – 19th-century blind-tooled morocco binding by Bedford, edges gilt, in a brown fitted quarter morocco case.

PROVENANCE: 1. Probably in an institutional collection in the 16th or 17th century; with a pressmark, apparently 27:53 on the fore edge. 2. Sir Thomas Brooke (1830-1908), his armorial bookplate inside front cover (A Catalogue of Manuscripts and Printed Books collected by Thomas Brooke and preserved at Armitage Bridge House, near Huddersfield, I, 1891, p. 50);W. lngham Brooke sale, Sotheby’s, 7 March 1913, lot 2. 3. Quaritch, A Catalogue of Illuminated and Other Manuscripts together with some works on Palaeography, 1931, pp. 10-11, no. 14, with folding plate. 4. Countess Estelle Doheny (1875-1958); presented to the Edward Laurence Doheny Memorial Library, St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, California; their sale, Christie’s, 2 December 1987, lot 150. 5. J. R. Ritman Collection (Bibliotheca Philosophica
Hermetica).

TEXT:De Ricci ascribes the manuscript to southern France, and the rounded Southern Textualis Libraria is paralleled in a number of manuscripts from Toulouse and Languedoc dating from the late 12th and early 13th century (Avril 1998, pp. 329-334, nos. 229, 230, 231 and 233). The most remarkable feature of the volume is its very large size, which sets it apart entirely from the small single-volume bibles produced in Paris from the 1220s. Nevertheless, it was clearly produced with an awareness of these Parisian bibles: the text is> written in two columns of dense script, and is divided and marked by small initials. It follows the standard Paris order of the biblical books, with chapter numbers in the text columns and running headings. Prologues have been systematically inserted throughout.The text of the alphabetical interpretation of Hebrew names, which was added at this time and is usually attributed to Stephen Langton, is found in its customary place at the end of the volume.

ILLUMINATION:Historiated initials on fol. i, 1, 20v 36, 46v, 62v, 76v 86, 96, 98, 112, 123 136, 148v, 160, 174v, 178v, 184, 190, 194, 199, 205, 214v, 218, 220v, 222v, 224v, 227v, 230, 233, 238, 247v, 249v, 251, 257, 273, 292v, 315, 317, 320, 341, 350, 353, 354v, 357, 357v, 358v, 360v, 361v, 362v, 364, 365, 368v, 370, 382v, 391v, 404, 412v, 425v, 435v, 440v, 445v, 449, 450v, 452, 453v, 454v, 455v, 456, 457, 458v, 459, 459, 463, 476v, 477v, 481v, 482v. The decoration can be attributed to the circle of artists who illuminated the Bible of Jean de Cardaillac (Stuttgart,Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod.bibl.2° 8, cf. Avril 1998, no. 230; exh. cat. Stuttgart 1996, pp. 366-75, no. 94) and a large Breviary (Paris, BN, n.a.lat. 2511, cf. Avril 1998, no. 229). This group can probably be located in Toulouse, where a university which rivalled that of Bologna had been located since 1229: the closest parallels for the style are with a number of manuscripts with legal content, such as the Gratian Decretals in Berlin (Staatsbibliothek, ms. lat. f° 4), usually regarded as having been produced in Toulouse. The illuminators of this circle, while clearly influenced by Parisian illumination, exhibit a number of distinctive features, in particular the range of grotesque figures with comic faces perched on long curling bar borders which are characteristic of south-western French production. The very extensive decoration of the present manuscript is arranged to indicate the relative importance of the various texts, so that full or almost full-page initials mark the openings of the first prologue, Genesis and the first Gospel, while historiated initials mark the beginning of each book and illuminated initials mark the Prologues. The complex Genesis initial is particularly close to that in the Cardaillac Bible, although the structure of the marginal extensions shares some features with the decoration of English manuscripts of the William of Devon group. One of the most meticulously executed miniatures is the figure of St Jerome on fol. i, in a style which, with its refined drawing and subtle modelling of deep drapery folds, anticipates the quality of illumination of the imposing Languedocian manuscript of Gratian’s Decretals of c. 1320 (Paris, BN, lat. 3898, cf. Avril 1998, no. 233). The distinctive metallic yellow and soft grey of the palette, the latter also seen in the Cardaillac Bible, are indicative of the increasing range of colours available to artists in the later years of the 13th century.The majority of the initials were executed by an artist whose figure style is characterised by variety of pose, lively gestures, physiognomies with almond-shaped eyes and> the use of shading to give a three-dimensional quality to drapery, all also features of the illumination of the Cardaillac Bible.

LITERATURE: 1. De Ricci/Wilson I, 1935, p. 21, no. 4; exh. cat. Los Angeles 1935, no. 2. Exh. cat. Stuttgart 1996, pp. 28-29;Avril 1998.