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 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 book of hours illuminated in grisaille technique with remarkable border decoration

22 Book of hours for the use of Rome

Manuscript on vellum, illuminated by the Master of Marguerite de Liederkerke. Flanders, Hainault (Mons or Valenciennes), c. 1500.

219 x 160 mm. 302 leaves, lacking one leaf after fol. 279, else complete: I8-2 (two blanks cancelled), II6, III-V8,VI6-1 (one blank cancelled),VII-IX8, X4, XI-XXII8, XXIII6,XXIV-XXXV8,XXXVI4,XXXVII8, XXXVIII8-1,XXXIX-XL8. Some horizontal catchwords. – Written space 130 x 90 mm, 19 lines, ruled in red.Written in dark brown ink in a flamboyant lettre bâtarde with some decorative cadels, headings in dull red, line-fillings and one-line initials in liquid gold on brick-red and deep blue grounds, two-line initials in fluffy designs in white and grey on brown panels dotted with liquid gold, four- to five-line initials in red, blue and brown with heightening in liquid silver and gold, four headings in gold on coloured banderoles in upper margins. 37 small miniatures in semi-grisaille with fullheight panel borders frequently illustrated with further scenes, naturalistic animals or birds, 13 large or full-page miniatures in semi-grisaille above 4 or 5 lines of text within full borders, spaces for 16 further large miniatures left blank. – Occasional slight smudging of miniatures, a few minor stains, some leaves a bit thumbed and cockled, traces of an oval stamp erased at each end, generally in very fine condition with wide margins. – 17th-century tan calf gilt with a semé of fleurs-de-lys, spine in compartments similar, vellum endleaves, red edges, joints repaired; in a full black morocco fitted case, title gilt.

PROVENANCE: 1. on fol. 201 there is a scribbled name “Stestenye”. 2. Inside of both covers, “Ce livre apartien a moy vincent guichard”, perhaps of the Guichard family of Saint- Symphorien-le-Châtel (de Ricci 1937, p. 1286, no. 9). There are traces of an oval stamp erased at each end, perhaps that of a bishop or cardinal. 3. Ambroise Firmin-Didot (1790-1879); his sale, Drouot, Paris, 11 June 1883, lot 17. 4. Baron Horace de Landau (1824-1903), with his bookplate with stamped number 5 (presumably acquired in 1883); by descent to his great-nephew Horace Finaly (d. 1945); his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 12 July 1948, lot 60. 5. Jaime Ortiz-Patiño; his sale, Sotheby’s, New York, 21 April 1998, lot 38. 6. Private collection, Europe.

TEXT: fol. 1-12v: Calendar – fol. 13: Passion Sequences, with the reading from Matthew marked for use on Sunday, from Mark for Tuesday, and Luke for Wednesday, followed by the usual Gospel Sequences (fol. 42) and the Passion Sequence from John for use on Friday (fol. 47) – fol. 55v-89v: Hours of the Cross – fol. 63: Hours of the Holy Ghost – fol. 70-116: Hours of the Virgin for Sunday, Monday and Thursday – fol. 118: Hours of the Virgin for Tuesday and Friday – fol. 166: Hours of the Virgin for Wednesday and Saturday – fol. 212-228: Penitential Psalms and Litany (fol. 220v) – fol. 228v-266: Office of the Dead – fol. 266v: Prayers to the Trinity and to the Virgin – fol. 280: Obsecro te, O intemerata – fol. 283v: Suffrages – fol. 296:Various Prayers. The manuscript was made in two stages. It must have begun as a relatively straightforward book of hours with Calendar, Gospel and Passion Sequences, Hours of the Cross and of the Holy Ghost, Hours of the Virgin, Penitential Psalms and Litany, Office of the Dead and various prayers and suffrages. The book thus had about 170 leaves. It was then returned to the workshop, and greatly enhanced with approximately another 132 leaves, supplying separate sets of Passion readings and Hours for every day of the week. Spaces were left for miniatures which were never supplied. The text is thus now quite exceptionally elaborate.

ILLUMINATION: Small miniatures on fol. 42, 43, 44, 45, 49, 51, 51v, 53, 54, 266v, 267, 267v, 283v, 284, 284v, 285, 285v, 286, 286v, 287, 287v, 288, 288v, 289v, 290, 290v, 291, 291v, 292, 293, 293v, 294, 294v, 295, 301v. Large or full-page miniatures: fol. 46v: Betrayal – fol. 55v: Crucifixion – fol. 63: Pentecost – fol. 70:Annunciation – fol. 79:Visitation – fol. 88v: Nativity – fol. 93:Annunciation to the Shepherds – fol. 97: Adoration of the Magi – fol. 101: Presentation – fol. 105: Flight into Egypt – fol. 112: Massacre of the Innocents – fol. 212: David – fol. 228v: Raising of Lazarus. The main feature of this unusual book is that it is painted in grisaille, that is, heightened only with white and liquid gold; certain secondary or background features are then washed across in colour. The fashion for semi-grisaille illumination goes back at least to the court school in Paris in the 1320s, and lasted sporadically until about 1400. It was then revived, in French Flanders and the southern Netherlands late in the 15th century, perhaps as a response to a new taste for the comparative restraint of metal engravings. The miniature of the Betrayal (fol. 46v) is copied almost exactly from an engraving of c. 1470 by Israhel van Meckenem (Bartsch VI, p. 207,no. 11). Tonal shades of painting are much harder to execute without the help of colour, and the grisaille technique must often have been an excuse to show off the dexterity and virtuosity of an artist. The artist at hand is a close collaborator of the Master of Antoine Rolin and his identification has been a matter of repeated art-historical debate. At first known as the ‘Master of the Echecs amoureux of Dresden’, he was re-named in 2005 after the Antiphonary of Maguerite de Liederkerke (Westmalle,Trappiste Abbey, ms. 9 – cf. Legaré 2005). As his collaboration with the Master of Antoine Rolin for the Annales du Hainaut of 1490 reveals (Oxford, Bodl. Lib., Holkham Misc. 50-53), he must, like his colleague, have enjoyed a considerable reputation.Anne-Marie Legaré has contributed enormously to our knowledge of book illumination in Hainaut and has defined an oeuvre of 18 manuscripts by this illuminator. So far no other manuscript with grisaille decoration is known by him, yet there are parallels in works by the Master of Antoine Rolin (New York, PML, M. 33). Our artist probably owes much of his inspiration for the historiated borders to him.With 13 large and 37 small miniatures – apart from the borders – our manuscript is a richly illustrated book of hours for a wealthy patron.

LITERATURE: Legaré 1991, p. 94; Legaré 1992, p. 220, no. 31; Legaré 1996, pp. 206-7, no. 24, Legaré 2005, pp. 407-17. Krieger 1995; Legaré 2002, pp. 65-124; exh. cat. Los Angeles and London 2003, p., 403f.