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

A manuscript of noble descent – The Hours of Vittoria Carafa, mother of Pope Paul IV

29 Book of hours for Dominican use

Manuscript on vellum, illuminated by the workshop of Matteo Felice. Italy, Naples, c. 1480.

149 x 118 mm. 2+216+2 leaves, complete:A2, I12, II2, III-X8,XI6, XII-XV8, XVI6, XVII-XXVII8, XXVIII6, B2. Judged by the collation the Mass for the Virgin Mary was included on special request of the manuscript’s patron (XVI6). Catchwords, embellished by penwork, in the same script and ink as the text. – Written space: 95 x 73 mm, 14 lines, 17 in the calendar, ruled in black ink and in blind. Textualis Formata in black and red ink. One-line initials alternately blue, red and gold with purple flourishing.Two-line initials in highly burnished gold alternately with blue framing and red infill and white penwork. One larger initial of the same kind with foliage and flower extension. – All in all 22 historiated initials: 5 large initials accompanied by four-sided borders of putti, angels and medallions enclosing scenes that correspond to the respective historiated initial. In the lower border of the Annunciation (fol. 15) is a roundel with the alliance coats-of-arms. A frame of small bars in gold and blue delineates the border composed of penwork interspersed with golden bezants, flowers and foliage in green, blue and dark red. One miniature in the text with a nearly three-sided border of gold scrolls, flowers and acanthus leaves. 16 historiated initials surrounded by three-sided borders of the same kind. – In fine condition. – Bound in early 20th-century polished brown calf leather over wooden boards, with two plaited clasps, gilt edges, in a cloth box.

PROVENANCE: 1.The alliance coats-of-arms in the border of fol. 15 belong to the Neapolitan noble families Carafa and Camponeschi (?). Vittoria Camponeschi, Contessa di Montorio, was married to Antonio Carafa, baron of Sant’Angelo della Scala (d. 1516) of Naples; her son was Gian Pietro Carafa (b. 1476), the later Pope Paul IV (1555-59). The later entry on fol. A refers to this detail. Vittoria Camponeschi’s brother-in-law, Oliviero Carafa, was cardinal protector of the Dominican order for Rome. 2. Unidentified 18th-century armorial plate. 3. European private collection.

TEXT: fol. 1-12v: Calendar (Dominican use) containing very few entries – fol. 13-14v: Blank – fol. 15-77: Office of the Virgin (Dominican use) incorporating Suffrages and prayers – fol. 77v-78: Blank – fol. 79-83: Mass for the Virgin Mary – fol. 83v-84v: Blank – fol. 85-91v: Hours of the Holy Spirit – fol. 92r/v: Blank - fol. 93-100v: Hours of the Cross – fol. 101- 120: Penitential Psalms – fol. 111v: Litany – fol. 121v-122v: Blank – fol. 123-171v: Office of the Dead – fol. 172-176v: Prayer “Obsecro te” in female form – fol. 177-178: Blank – fol. 179-198v: Psalter of St Jerome – fol. 199-203: Canticum Athanasii – fol. 203-207: Prayers to Christ – fol. 207v-210v: Added prayers – fol. 211-216v: Blank. The sequence of texts is unusual; within the Office of the Virgin suffrages and prayers are incorporated at Vespers.The suffrages to St Magdalen and Katherine are not uncommon but may indicate special preferences of the owner.The prominent inclusion of St Dominic in the litany is in line with Dominican use. It seems that the arrangement of texts was specifically attuned to the ideas of the patroness.

ILLUMINATION: fol. 15:Annunciation – fol. 26v:Visitation – fol. 39: Nativity – fol. 43: Adoration of the Magi – fol. 47: Resurrection of Christ – fol. 51:Ascension – fol. 55: Pentecost – fol. 63: Christ appearing to St Mary Magdalen – fol. 63v: Martyrdom of St Katherine – fol. 64v: St Dominic in front of the Virgin Mary – fol. 65v: St Dominic surrounded by Dominican saints – fol. 66: St Michael – fol. 67: St Peter and Paul – fol. 67v: St Jerome with the lion – fol. 68v: Martyrdom of St Sebastian – fol. 71v:Assumption of the Virgin Mary – fol. 79: Mary nursing the poor souls in the purgatory – fol. 85: Pentecost – fol. 93:Crucifixion – fol. 101:David in prayer – fol. 123: Raising of Lazarus – fol. 180: Penitent St Jerome. The Office of the Virgin is illustrated by unusual subjects: the Resurrection and the Ascension of Christ, themes that indicate the unity of God and man in Christ. Pentecost, also to be found in the Office of the Virgin, illustrates the aspect of the words and deeds of Christ on earth.The depiction of Mary nursing the poor souls with her milk is interesting from this point of view as it can be interpreted as a representation of the maternal care and empathy that extends also to the purgatory. The cycle of miniatures is the result of a careful iconographic concept which avoids the repetition of a subject in an identical compositional scheme. The Descent of the Holy Spirit already illustrates the Office of the Virgin, so that the artist imaginatively modifies his depiction of the Pentecost that opens the Hours of the Holy Spirit. This iconographic interpretation as well as the adaptation of the Nativity of Christ which takes place in a rocky cave instead of a stable was particularly popular in Naples (cf. London, Victoria & Albert Museum, Hours of Alfonso of Aragon and Montecassino, cor. Q, fol. 48v). The rather sturdy figures, the dominance of red and blue in the miniatures and the borders as well as the way in which the putti enliven the borders point to Matteo Felice. Matteo Felice is a well-documented illuminator active in the last third of the 15th century who worked for the kings of Aragon among others (Toscano 2004). The design of the full borders is reminiscent of the border decoration of the Duns Scotus manuscript in the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (De Marinis 1947, I, pl. 37), whereas the design of the initial letters set on the burnished gold grounds bears close relationship to a book of hours (Vatican, Bibl. Apost., Ross 64). As far as we know the historiated initial of Mary nursing the souls (fol. 79) is the only depiction of this subject in manuscript illumination, although the image of Maria lactans was not uncommon in the genre of monumental painting during this time in Naples. The illumination of this book of hours reveals the hand of a gifted artist who skillfully translates his sophisticated iconographic reading of the manuscript’s picture cycle, complemented by additional scenes in the borders, into an aesthetically appealing artistic idiom.

LITERATURE: The manuscript is hitherto unpublished. De Marinis 1947, pp. 157-161, pl. 34-46; De Marinis 1969, pp. 93-94; exh. cat. London 1985, no. 14; Murano/Saggese 1991, esp. pp. 43-46; exh. cat. Rome 1994; Toscano 1995; Toscano 2004 (with extensive bibliography).