THREE BIFOLIA, in Latin and German, from DECORATED MANUSCRIPTS ON VELLUM
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 1… Read more
THREE BIFOLIA, in Latin and German, from DECORATED MANUSCRIPTS ON VELLUM

Details
THREE BIFOLIA, in Latin and German, from DECORATED MANUSCRIPTS ON VELLUM

[(i) Germany, 14th century; (ii) Germany, Trier?, c.1200; (iii) Southern Germany or Switzerland, ?late-14th century]

Three bifolia: (i) 225 x 315mm, 28 lines written in gothic bookhand in brown ink between two verticals and 28 horizontals ruled in ink, prickings survive in the outer margin, capitals stroked in red, space-fillers between words in red, a horizontal band darkened and some lettering flaked, sewn into a card wrapper marked '20'; (ii) 335 x 470mm, 29 lines written in brown ink in gothic bookhand between four verticals and 29 horizontals ruled in ink, capitals stroked in red, rubrics and major feasts in the calendar in red, one-line initials in red, two-line initials in red with green penwork flourishing, five three-line 'VD' monograms alternately in red with blue penwork flourishing, or vice versa, similar but larger KL monograms in the calendar, some worming and general wear, sewn into a card wrapper marked '32'; (iii) 325 x 420mm, foliated in late-medieval ink 'xxiii' and 'xxvi', 32 lines in two columns in dark brown ink in gothic bookhand, between four verticals and 33 horizontals ruled in ink, justification: 275 x 80-17-80mm, capitals stroked in red, rubrics in red, one- and two-line initials alternately red or blue, guides to the decorator and rubricator surive, about half of one column of text missing; sewn into a card wrapper marked '33'.

CONTENT:
(i) Bifolium of Donatus's grammar, containing part of the conjugation of the 3rd conjugation verb 'legere', beginning with the pluperfect subjunctive passive and ending with the future subjunctive passive (f.1), and part of the conjugation of the 2nd conjugation verb 'doceo', beginning with the pluperfect subjunctive and ending with the pluperfect subjunctive passive (f.2), in each case with interlinear translations into German.
(ii) Bifolium from a noted Trier(?) missal, containing: November and December from a calendar (f.1); Kyries and Glorias with staveless neums (ff.1v-2); and mass prefaces for major feasts (Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, etc.) (f.2r-v).
(iii) Imperfect bifolium from the sanctoral of a south German or Swiss missal, containing feasts in July and August, including the Division of the Apostles, Alexis, Praxedis, Dominic, Oswald, Felix, Affra, and Donatus. St Oswald, 7th-century King of Northumbria, was venerated mainly in England and southern Germany; but there is also a church dedicated to him at Zug, Switzerland.

PROVENANCE:
The calendar of (ii) suggests an origin at Trier: feasts include several German saints, including St Eucharius, the first bishop of Trier: his feast is usually celebrated on 8th or 9th December, except in Trier, where it is celebrated on 10th December, as in the present manuscript. All three items are apparently from the Schlossarchiv at Eisenberg, south-west of Leipzig: they have a variety of 15th- to 18th-century inscriptions including 'Eisenberg', 'Eisenb. Schlossarchiv', 'Joachim Linzen presbyteri(?) Eisenberg', 'Anno dni. XVc XXV', and 'Willi gerichtsb.' All three are in early 20th-century dealer's or collector's card folders printed 'Kloster zu Eisenberg Anno 1207 bis 1524 Aus seiner Bücherei' with attributions annotated in English. (3)
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

More from Valuable Manuscripts and Printed Books

View All
View All