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

The most important exegetic work of the later Middle Ages

17 Nicolaus de Lyra, Postilla litteralis super Vetus Testamentum

Illuminated manuscript on vellum in two volumes, dated and signed by the scribe Egidius Alamanus. Italy, Ferrara?, 1441-56.

392 x 275 mm.Vol. I: 1 paper leaf, 232 vellum leaves (4 leaves missing), I10-4, II-XXII10, XXIII2, XXIV4.Vol. II: 1 paper leaf, 281 vellum leaves, (the last leaf written by a later hand, replacing a missing leaf of the original content), I10+1, II-XII10, XIII2, XIV-XXVIII10, XXIX2, XXX6+1. Catchwords throughout, foliation in ink in the upper right corners of both volumes, I: fol. 5-236, II: fol. 1-280 (fol. 187 counted twice), probably dating from the 18th century, table of contents on the paper leaves by the same scribe. – Written space: 250-262 x 180-185 mm, two columns of 72 to 73 lines. Small Textualis in dark brown ink with numerous marginal notes, underlinings in red. Beginnings of chapters highlighted by two-line initials alternately in blue and red.The scribe changes at the end of the first and in the course of the second volume.These sections are marked by three- to four-line penwork initials. – 22 (vol. I) and 30 (vol. II) large initials with delicate penwork decoration in red and blue partly with some liquid gold introducing the beginnings of each book. 19 pen-and-ink drawings coloured with washes, mainly incorporated in the text, illustrating vol. I, numerous blanks for further drawings. – Very fine condition throughout. – Historicised 20th-century binding: dark brown leather, covers and spine richly gilt. Modern vellum endpapers.

PROVENANCE: Private collection France.

TEXT: The two volumes contain the Postilla super Vetus Testamentum, commentaries on all books of the Old Testament. They are part of the Postilla litteralis super totam Bibliam. Written between 1322 and 1331 this extensive exegetic opus on the whole Bible constitutes the most important achievement of the theologian Nicolaus de Lyra, a Franciscan friar (c. 1270/75-1349). The Postilla may without exaggeration be regarded as the most important exegetic work of the later Middle Ages whose influence on Martin Luther, on the age of the Reformation and far beyond must not be underrated. Vernacular translations of parts of the Postilla as well as of the entire text were produced early on. Numerous, mostly fragmentary manuscripts testify to the importance of the Postilla. It was also the first biblical commentary to appear in print.The original edition was printed in Rome in 1471. The two volumes at issue can be dated between 1441 and 1456 on the basis of several colophons. The most detailed note is to be found on fol. 107v of the second volume: “Explicit postilla supra librum psalmorum edita a fratre Nicholao de Lyra de ordine fratrum minorum sacre pagine doctore scripta per Egidium alamanum (...) M.ccc.liiiii die xxii mensis octobris”.The same scribe signed two more times (vol. II, fol. 35, fol. 115v). The script of Egidius Alemanus is remarkable for its delicacy and elegance as well as its consistent regularity. This excellent scribe, who according to his surname must have been of German origin, presumably produced more than just this one work, although no other manuscript can be attributed to him so far. One hypothesis to be considered is the question whether our Egidius Alemanus could have been identical with a certain Egidio Teutonico, who is documented as scribe (and maybe also illuminator) of a manuscript in Perugia dated 1474 (Biblioteca Comunale Augusta, Cod. 798 L. 50, cf. Aeschlimann 1940, p. 58; Bistoni Grilli Cicilioni 1994, vol. 1, pp. 61/62, pl. 155). For reasons unknown to us a second scribe concluded the work on both volumes. In vol. I. the change is implemented on fol. 227v, whereas in vol. II he took over on fol. 188v (cf. also fol. 187, an inserted single leaf with a blank verso). The second scribe can be recognized by a very precise and clear but less dynamic script that can be distinguished from the hand of Egidius by the vertically placed catchwords and the larger-sized chapter initials. At the same time, however, the second scribe obviously strove to get as close as possible to the example of his predecessor and to finish his work in a harmonious way. The two volumes presented here clearly illustrate the lengthy process of the production of a monumental manuscript, which spanned 15 years.

ILLUMINATION: fol. 8:Two cross-sections of Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6/7) - fol. 44v:Two illustrations of the Ark of the Covenant with angels (Exodus 25) - fol. 45:Two representations of the table with two bowls containing the consecrated bread (Ex 25) - fol. 45v:Two seven-branch candelabra (Ex 25) - fol. 46: Two representations of the carpets joined together by loops (Ex 26) - fol. 46v: Two representations of the veil in front of the Holy of Holies (Ex 26) - fol. 47:The altar (Ex 27) - fol. 47v:The altar with its enclosure (Ex 27) - fol. 48:Aaron in the vestment of a priest (Ex 28) - fol. 49v:The copper basin for the washing of hands and feet (Ex 30) - fol. 50v:The tables of law (Ex 32) - fol. 53v:A general plan of the sanctuary with the altar in front of it (Ex 32). As the blanks left in the text show, a detailed cycle of illustrations of all biblical books had originally been planned. However, only 19 pen-and-wash drawings illustrating the first two Books of Moses have been executed. A stylistic classification of the illustrations is very difficult as they are of a rather schematic character. For an iconographic comparison with other manuscript copies one may refer for example to a lavishly illuminated Postilla which was probably executed in Flanders c. 1450-75 and fragments of which are now in Den Haag (Kon. Bibl., ms. KB, 128 C8’’ for reproductions cf. www.kb.nl/kb/manuscripts). Although the compositions are generally more complex, some details, e. g. the figures, bear interesting resemblances to the illumination of our manuscript. A consistent iconography for illustrating the Postilla may well have been in use at that time. Generally speaking the illustrations correspond in their conception to the didactic purpose and use of this manuscript containing the most important exegetic text on the Bible. According to Gaudenz Freuler the drawings representing human figures reveal stylistic parallels with fragments of a psalter created in an anonymous workshop in Ferrara (today in private collections in Switzerland resp. Milan).

LITERATURE: The manuscript is hitherto unpublished. Aeschlimann 1940; Bistoni Grilli Cicilioni 1994.