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MISSAL, for the use of Augustinian hermits, in Latin, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[northeastern Italy, 1490s]250 x 355mm. i (former pastedown) +235 + i (former pastedown) leaves, modern pencilled pagination: 16, 28(of 10, lacking bifolium i/x), 3-1310, 142, 159(of 10, lacking i), 162(of 10, lacking ii-ix), 176(of 10, lacking i/x, ii/ix), 18-2610, 272, catchwords, written vertically along the inner ruling of final versos, some signatures, two columns of 32 lines written in brown ink in a gothic bookhand between four verticals and 33 horizontals ruled in grey, justification: 229 x 73 - 17 - 73mm, or in two columns of six lines written below six lines of music of square notation on a four-line stave of red, rubrics in red, text capitals touched yellow, one- to three- line initials alternately in red flourished with light blue and in dark blue flourished with red or purple, the flourishing extending into the borders and frequently terminating with human heads, birds, rabbits and beasts, TEN HISTORIATED INITIALS ON GROUNDS OF BURNISHED GOLD WITH BORDER EXTENSIONS of blue, pink and green acanthus incorporating antique grotesque forms and intertwined with hairline tendrils linking large burnished gold disks (lacking one gathering between 2 and 3, probably two gatherings between 19 and 20 and one gathering between 20 and 21, slight wear to margins). Contemporary brown calf over wooden boards, tooled in blind with floral motifs forming a central rectangle around a lozenge within triple fillets, four roundels of YHS, the ascender of the H barred to form a cross, spine in five compartments (lacking two clasps and seven metal attachments to each cover, rubbed).
PROVENANCE:
1. The Calendar commemorates the feast of St Augustine in red, 28 August, with octave, his conversion 5 May and his translation 11 October; the translation of his mother, St Monica, 9 April; St William ordinis heremitarum sancti augustini 10 February, the Augustinian St Nicholas of Tolentino 10 September and his canonisation 5 June, which occurred in 1446, and St Simplicianus, 13 August. The Franciscan St Bernardino of Siena, in red on 20 May, was canonised in 1450. Sts Augustine and Monica are invoked in the litany, p.221; there is a noted preface for St Augustine, pp.251-2, a missa generalis sancti augustini pro vivis et defunctis, pp,421-2, a mass for St William ordinis heremitarum with reference to in ecclesia ordinis heremitarum, p.454, and a mass for St Simplicianus, bishop and confessor ordinis heremitarum, pp.454-5. Throughout rubrics refer to 'brothers', e.g. p.169, but the places where the name of a specific church or patron could be cited are deliberately left open, e.g. pp.227, 402. In the Temporal, the specifying of Roman churches as stations for particular services need not relate directly to Rome, since Innocent VIII in 1490 granted to the churches of the Augustinian Hermits the same Indulgences as those gained by making the Stations in Rome. The translation of St Mark, 31 January, and his apparition, 25 June, might suggest a connection with Venice, as might the inclusion of St Gerard Sagredo on 23 February (his translation 24 February) and 24 September. There was also an active devotion to Old Testament prophets and patriarchs in Venice, several of whom are commemorated in the Calendar.
2. Twentieth-century pencilled notes in German inside upper cover. Typed description in English loose inside upper cover.
CONTENT:
Calendar with Augustinian feasts pp.3-14; Temporal masses, lacking opening, beginning in the second Sunday in Advent p.15 and breaking in the Christmas Mass p.30, resuming in Sexagesima p.31 and running to Holy Saturday, with musical notation for the blessing of lights, and followed by noted prefaces, chants for the blessing of the font, etc, ending with the Creed p.254; the Ordo missae lacking opening pp.255-262; Temporal masses from Easter p.263, breaking in the Saturday after Easter p.274, resuming and breaking in the vigil for Pentecost pp.275-276, resuming in the second day after Pentecost p.277 and breaking in the first Sunday after Pentecost p.288, resuming in the second Sunday after Pentecost p.289 and breaking in the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost p.328; Sanctoral masses, lacking opening, running from St Urban (25 May) p.329 and breaking in the Seven Brothers (10 August) p.348, resuming in Sts Simon and Jude (28 October) p.349 and ending with St Catherine (25 November) p.356; Communal masses pp.356-400; dedication of church pp.400-405; votive and festive masses pp.405-459; ceremonies for clothing novices and for the reception of sisters into the Order of St Augustine or of St Francis, and benedictions, pp.459-474
ILLUMINATION:
The style of the illumination and its rich colouring set against burnished gold suggest an origin in northern Italy. The figures are confidently detailed, whether at full- or half-length to maximise the faces where dark lines establish the expressive facial features. Draperies are often modelled in more than one colour so that the scenes are not overwhelmed by the luxuriant foliage of the letter staves and extenders. The inventive incorporation of classical motifs into the letter forms is matched by the masks, profiles, beasts and birds that terminate much of the flourishing. The consistent taste for the newly fashionable grotesque decoration evident throughout this volume makes it an impressive example of the handsomely decorated liturgical books that were, in themselves, an expression of devotion.
The subjects of the historiated initials are as follows: p.27 Christ at bust length; p.29 the Nativity; p.263 the Resurrection with the Instruments of the Passion in the border; p.336 St John the Baptist; p.341 Sts Peter and Paul; p.344 the Visitation; f.350 All Saints: St Peter flanked by a bishop and a deacon, three further figures behind; p.356 an Apostle; p.403 the Trinity with Christ on the Cross; p.404 the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
[northeastern Italy, 1490s]250 x 355mm. i (former pastedown) +235 + i (former pastedown) leaves, modern pencilled pagination: 1
PROVENANCE:
1. The Calendar commemorates the feast of St Augustine in red, 28 August, with octave, his conversion 5 May and his translation 11 October; the translation of his mother, St Monica, 9 April; St William ordinis heremitarum sancti augustini 10 February, the Augustinian St Nicholas of Tolentino 10 September and his canonisation 5 June, which occurred in 1446, and St Simplicianus, 13 August. The Franciscan St Bernardino of Siena, in red on 20 May, was canonised in 1450. Sts Augustine and Monica are invoked in the litany, p.221; there is a noted preface for St Augustine, pp.251-2, a missa generalis sancti augustini pro vivis et defunctis, pp,421-2, a mass for St William ordinis heremitarum with reference to in ecclesia ordinis heremitarum, p.454, and a mass for St Simplicianus, bishop and confessor ordinis heremitarum, pp.454-5. Throughout rubrics refer to 'brothers', e.g. p.169, but the places where the name of a specific church or patron could be cited are deliberately left open, e.g. pp.227, 402. In the Temporal, the specifying of Roman churches as stations for particular services need not relate directly to Rome, since Innocent VIII in 1490 granted to the churches of the Augustinian Hermits the same Indulgences as those gained by making the Stations in Rome. The translation of St Mark, 31 January, and his apparition, 25 June, might suggest a connection with Venice, as might the inclusion of St Gerard Sagredo on 23 February (his translation 24 February) and 24 September. There was also an active devotion to Old Testament prophets and patriarchs in Venice, several of whom are commemorated in the Calendar.
2. Twentieth-century pencilled notes in German inside upper cover. Typed description in English loose inside upper cover.
CONTENT:
Calendar with Augustinian feasts pp.3-14; Temporal masses, lacking opening, beginning in the second Sunday in Advent p.15 and breaking in the Christmas Mass p.30, resuming in Sexagesima p.31 and running to Holy Saturday, with musical notation for the blessing of lights, and followed by noted prefaces, chants for the blessing of the font, etc, ending with the Creed p.254; the Ordo missae lacking opening pp.255-262; Temporal masses from Easter p.263, breaking in the Saturday after Easter p.274, resuming and breaking in the vigil for Pentecost pp.275-276, resuming in the second day after Pentecost p.277 and breaking in the first Sunday after Pentecost p.288, resuming in the second Sunday after Pentecost p.289 and breaking in the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost p.328; Sanctoral masses, lacking opening, running from St Urban (25 May) p.329 and breaking in the Seven Brothers (10 August) p.348, resuming in Sts Simon and Jude (28 October) p.349 and ending with St Catherine (25 November) p.356; Communal masses pp.356-400; dedication of church pp.400-405; votive and festive masses pp.405-459; ceremonies for clothing novices and for the reception of sisters into the Order of St Augustine or of St Francis, and benedictions, pp.459-474
ILLUMINATION:
The style of the illumination and its rich colouring set against burnished gold suggest an origin in northern Italy. The figures are confidently detailed, whether at full- or half-length to maximise the faces where dark lines establish the expressive facial features. Draperies are often modelled in more than one colour so that the scenes are not overwhelmed by the luxuriant foliage of the letter staves and extenders. The inventive incorporation of classical motifs into the letter forms is matched by the masks, profiles, beasts and birds that terminate much of the flourishing. The consistent taste for the newly fashionable grotesque decoration evident throughout this volume makes it an impressive example of the handsomely decorated liturgical books that were, in themselves, an expression of devotion.
The subjects of the historiated initials are as follows: p.27 Christ at bust length; p.29 the Nativity; p.263 the Resurrection with the Instruments of the Passion in the border; p.336 St John the Baptist; p.341 Sts Peter and Paul; p.344 the Visitation; f.350 All Saints: St Peter flanked by a bishop and a deacon, three further figures behind; p.356 an Apostle; p.403 the Trinity with Christ on the Cross; p.404 the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
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