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

CONTENTS

Manuscripts

  1. Glossed Gospels of St Luke and St John,
    Paris or northern France, c. 1210
  2. Psalter with calendar for the diocese of Trier,
    Germany,Trier, c. 1220-40
  3. Psalter and book of hours for the use of Paris,
    illuminated in the du Prat atelier, France, Paris,
    c. 1250-60
  4. Biblia latina, pocket bible, France, Paris, c. 1250
  5. Antiphonary, sanctoral volume, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, c. 1270-75
  6. Psalter for the use of Auxerre, France,
    Burgundy or Paris, c. 1300
  7. Antiphonary for a Franciscan convent,
    illuminated by Neri da Rimini, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, dated 1314
  8. Vita Sancti Antonii Eremitae – Inventio et
    Translatio, illuminated by the Maestro del 1328,
    Italy, Bologna, c. 1320
  9. Schönrainer Liederhandschrift. Middle High
    German Minnesang manuscript, Germany,
    Hesse, c. 1330
  10. Missale Romanum, illuminated in the workshop
    of Cristoforo Orimina, Italy, Naples, c. 1355
  11. Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae and
    Jean de Meun, Testament, France, Paris, c. 1400
  12. Guido de Columna, Historia destructionis Troiae
    and Giovanni Boccaccio, Il Filostrato, Italy,
    Naples, dated 1414 and 1413
  13. Book of hours for the use of Paris, illuminated
    by the workshop of the Bedford Master, France,
    Paris, c. 1405-10
  14. Compilation of pastoral and mystical texts
    from the library of the Celestines of Marcoussis,
    illuminated by the Hoo Master, France, Paris,
    c. 1425-35
  15. Book of hours for the use of Toul, illuminated
    by the Master of Pommersfelden 351, France,
    Toul or Metz, c. 1435-40
  16. Dominican hymnal, illuminated by the
    Master of 1446, Italy, Bologna, c. 1450
  17. Nicolaus de Lyra, Postilla litteralis super
    Vetus Testamentum, two volumes, Italy,
    Ferrara?, 1441-46
  18. Compilation of history bible and world chronicle,
    the Antichrist and the XV signs and other texts,
    Austria, c. 1450
  19. Book of hours and psalter in Dutch, illuminated
    by the Master of the Haarlem Bible, Masters of
    Otto von Moerdrecht, Masters of Gijsbrecht
    van Brederode et al., northern Netherlands,
    Haarlem, dated 1453
  20. Book of hours for the use of Rome, with
    calendar of Bruges, illuminated by the Master of
    Buchanan E.5, Flanders, Bruges, c. 1450-60
  21. Chronique anonyme universelle, parchment
    scroll, illuminated by the Master of Étienne
    Sauderat, France, Paris?, c. 1450 with additions
    after 1461 and 1467
  22. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated
    by the workshop of Bartolomeo Varnucci,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1460-70
  23. Martin Le Franc, L’Estrif de Fortune et de Vertu,
    illuminated by the Master of the Échevinage
    de Rouen, France, Rouen, c. 1465-75
  24. Book of hours for the use of Utrecht in the Dutch
    translation of Geert Grote, illuminated by one of
    the Masters of Gijsbrecht van Brederode, northern
    Netherlands, probably Utrecht, c. 1465-70
  25. Missale Fratrum Minorum for the convent
    of S. Francesco di Montone, near Perugia,
    illuminated by Bartelomeo and Giapeco
    Caporali, Italy, Perugia, 1469
  26. Book of hours for the use of Rome with
    adaptations for Poitiers and a calendar for
    Angers, illuminated by Maître François,
    France, Paris, c. 1470
  27. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated by the
    workshop of Mariano del Buono di Jacopo,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1470-75
  28. Book of hours for the use of Rome, illuminated
    by Martino da Modena, Italy, Ferrara, c. 1480-85
  29. Book of hours for Dominican use, illuminated
    by the workshop of Matteo Felice, Italy,
    Naples, c. 1480
  30. Giovanni Boccaccio, Elegia di Madonna
    Fiammetta, illuminated by Attavante degli
    Attavanti, Italy, Florence, c. 1480
  31. Book of hours for the use of Rome, Italy,
    Sicily or Naples, c. 1480-90
  32. Olivier de la Marche, Le chevalier délibéré and
    other texts, Flanders, c. 1484
  33. Prayerbook in German, Germany, Nuremberg,
    c. 1495-1500
  34. Fencing treatise with pen-and-ink drawings,
    southern Germany,Augsburg, c. 1490-1500
  35. Book of hours for the use of Paris in Latin
    and French, illuminated by an artist from the
    circle of Jean Pichore, France, Paris, c. 1500
  36. Passion prayerbook in Latin with a prayer for
    the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg, Flanders,
    Bruges, after 1517
  37. Diploma for Statilio Paolino on his award of a
    doctorate in law from the University of
    Perugia, Italy, Perugia, dated 29 October 1582
  38. Album with Italian, mainly Venetian, costumes and
    characters from the Commedia dell’Arte, Italy,
    Venice?, first quarter of the 17th century

    Miniatures

  39. Funeral mass for a dignitary, miniature from a
    breviary, France,Avignon, c. 1340-45 128
  40. A pope distributing the decretals, miniature from
    a manuscript of canon law, France, Languedoc,
    c. 1320
  41. The Adoration of the Magi, historiated initial ‘D’
    on a leaf from a missal, Italy, Siena, c. 1400-10
  42. Two martyr saints, historiated initial ‘P’ on a leaf
    from a gradual for Lucca Cathedral, illuminated by
    Martino di Bartolomeo. Italy, Lucca, c. 1394-95
  43. Investiture of St Clare on a cutting from a
    Franciscan antiphonary, Italy, Bologna or Veneto,
    c. 1430-40
  44. Trinity, historiated initial ‘G’ on a cutting from
    a choirbook, France, Savoy, c. 1450 138
  45. King David playing the psaltery, historiated
    initial ‘E’ on a leaf from a psalter, illuminated by
    Jacopo da Balsemo, Italy, Bergamo, c. 1450-55
  46. The Creation of Eve, historiated initial ‘I’ on a
    cutting from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Bonifacio Bembo, Italy, Lombardy, c. 1445
  47. Jesaia before the Almighty, historiated initial ‘A’
    on a leaf from an antiphonary, illuminated by
    a follower of the Maestro delle Vitae Imperatorum,
    Italy, Lombardy, c. 1460
  48. Batsheba bathing, miniature from the Hours of
    Guyot II Le Peley, illuminated by Jean Colombe,
    France, Bourges, c. 1480
  49. The miracle of St Michael on Mount Gargano,
    miniature from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Attavante degli Attavanti, Italy, Florence,
    between 1473 and 1502
  50. Christ taking leave of his mother, miniature
    mounted on wood, illuminated by Jacopo del
    Giallo?, Italy, Rome, c. 1540

    Key to bibliographical references

One of the earliest psalter-hours for the use of a woman with an unusual cycle of splendid miniatures

3 One of the earliest psalter-hours for the use of a woman with an unusual cycle of splendid miniatures

Manuscript on vellum, illuminated in the du Prat atelier. France, Paris, c. 1250-60.

164 x 104 mm. 240 leaves, plus flyleaf, lacking single leaves after fol. 6, 100 and 168, else complete: I6, II12-1, III-VIII12, IX10+1, X12-1, XI-XII12, XIII10, XIV12, XV12-1, XVI-XVII12, XVIII10-4 (last leaves blank, cancelled at end), XIX-XX12, XXI8, XXII8-2+4 (two leaves cancelled and replaced by two bifolia). – Written space: 100 x 65 mm, 22 lines, ruled in plummet, written in brown ink in a semi-liturgical bookhand.Versal initials throughout alternately dark blue and gold with penwork in red or blue extending in each lower margin, often with grotesques.Three-line illuminated initials throughout, last two gatherings added in the early 14th century with 23 lines, two- to eight-line illuminated initials in colours and burnished gold with ivyleaf extensions. – 16 large miniatures, one large historiated initial on fol. 223. – Lower margin of fol. 223 cut away, first leaves slightly stained and rubbed, slight rubbing to the miniature on fol. 73, mostly in very fine condition. – Late 16th century French (probably Parisian) olive morocco binding, lacking two pairs of ties, joints skilfully renewed, in a red morocco fitted case gilt.

PROVENANCE:
1.Written for a woman. 2.The Hours of the Holy Spirit, added in early 14th century, conclude with an inscription, however, the name was erased (fol. 240v) and replaced with “Antoinette de camouchon religieuse”, prioress in 1614 of the Benedictine abbey of Berteaucourt-les-Dames (diocese of Amiens). 3. Françoise de Henon, François de Henon, Jean de Hamme, and Eugene de Rosny, of Lozembrune. Remained in the same family until its eventual sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 2 December 1987, lot 247. 4. Jaime Ortiz-Patiño Collection; his sale at Sotheby’s, 2 December 1998, lot 1. TEXT: fol. 1-6v: Calendar – fol. 7-145v: Psalter; Litany (fol. 140) – fol. 146-177v: Hours of the Virgin; fol. 156: Lauds (incorporating suffrages); fol. 164v: Prime; fol. 166v:Terce; fol. 169: Sext (lacking first leaf); fol. 170: None; fol. 172:Vespers; fol. 175: Compline – fol. 178-222: Office of the Dead – fol. 197: Memorials; fol. 199: The life of St Margaret; prayers for use by a woman – fol. 223-240: Hours of the Holy Spirit (added); fol. 239v: Gospel sequence from St John. Around the second quarter of the 13th century there began to appear, both in France and in England, books known as ‘psalter-hours’.Ten 13th century psalter-hours are recorded by Leroquais in libraries in France, six of which can be attributed to Paris (Branner 1977).To these must be added the Burdett Psalter-Hours, c. 1282-86.With the possible exception of the former Dyson Perrins ms. 34, this is probably the earliest psalter-hours in private hands. The hours are unusual in incorporating the suffrages between Lauds and Prime, a feature of English books of hours rare in France (Bennett 1996, p. 34, n. 14).

ILLUMINATION: fol. 24v: (a) Visitation, (b) Nativity – fol. 36v: (a) Adoration of the Magi, (b) Presentation – fol. 47: (a) A saint in prison, (b) the ruler dying, the saint consigning his soul into the hands of a devil – fol. 48: (a) Massacre of the Innocents, (b) Flight into Egypt – fol. 59: (a) St Mary Magdalen washing the feet of Christ, (b) St Mary and Martha in discussion with Christ – fol. 73: (a) Raising of Lazarus, (b) Entry into Jerusalem – fol. 86v: (a) Betrayal of Christ, (b) Scourging of Christ – fol. 146: (a) The patroness kneeling before the Virgin, (b) Martyrdom of St Stephen – fol. 156: (a) Martyrdom of St Peter, (b) Martyrdom of St Andrew – fol. 164v: (a) St Nicholas passing bread to three maidens, (b) St Nicholas blessing the three boys – fol. 167: (a) St Martin, (b) a bishop saint blessing and raising to life a monk – fol. 170: (a) St Katherine in her martyrdom, (b) St Katherine being beheaded, (c) angels carrying the body of St Katherine to Mount Sinai – fol. 172: (a) martyrdom of St Agatha, (b) St Agnes is protected by an angel – fol. 175: (a) St Margaret in prison, (b) Martyrdom of St Margaret – fol. l99: (a) St Margaret escaping from the dragon, (b) Martyrdom of St Margaret – fol. 211: (a) the patroness in prayer, (b) Christ with his apostles – fol. 223: Pentecost. The present manuscript, securely attributable to the du Prat workshop, is decorated with unusual oblong miniatures of remarkably high quality. The psalms are illustrated with pictures from the Gospels, the Passion of Christ and from the lives of saints. Passion miniatures are very uncommon in the context of a French psalter. There are some Netherlandish parallels (cf. Haseloff 1938, pl. 18-20), and individual Gospel images can sometimes be matched in French books, such as the Raising of Lazarus (e.g. Fitzwilliam Museum, McClean ms. 41, BL, Harley 2930, and Morgan M 183).The Washing of Christ’s feet and the Scourging are apparently recorded in only one other manuscript, St Omer ms. 270, probably from Tournai. The scenes here are twinned with images of saints, some of which are still unidentified. Such miniatures of saints are so unusual as to suggest a specific commission: four of the miniatures include scenes of saints in prison, and perhaps the patroness had a relative in captivity or was herself in prison. The owner is shown twice in the illuminations here, fol. 146 and 211.The only parallel known to us of saints in the psalm divisions of a psalter-hours is in a manuscript of approximately the same date made in Flanders or Artois for Augustinian nuns (Beaune, ms. 39), but the cycle there is of more general saints and evangelists. The complexity and originality of the pictures in the present book seem to be unique. The du Prat workshop was named by Branner after a bible in Boston, Public Library, ms. 1532. The present manuscript shows all the features of the workshop’s style and is to be associated with the middle and later years of the workshop’s activity. Key manuscripts of this phase are the Boston Bible and others (Branner 1977, pl. 187, 192-193 and 195). The added historiated initial of Pentecost belongs to the early 14th century. It is of magnificent quality, close to the style of Master Honoré himself.

LITERATURE: Sales cat. Drouot, Paris, 2 Dec. 1987, lot 247; sales cat. Sotheby’s, 2 Dec. 1998, lot 1. Haseloff 1938; Leroquais 1940-41; Branner 1977; Bennett 1996, p. 35, n. 24;Avril 1998, nos. 183 and 186.