Details
OFFICIUM SANCTAE MARTHAE ET SANCTAE MONICAE. Latin. [Milan, 16th century].
MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM, 20 leaves, a-b 8 c 4, signed at the lower right under the last line of text on the recto of each leaf in the first half of each quire. 190 x 140mm. (7 5/8 x 5 1/2 in.), written in black or brown ink in a rounded Italian Gothic script, vertical ruling in lead, horizontal ruling in pale brown ink, each line of text written between two ruled lines, single columns of 21 lines, justification (152 x 102mm.). One 7-line blue Lombard initial (f. lr) and three 2-line liquid gold Lombard initials (ff. 2r, 16v, 19r), all with red pen-flourishing; simple 2-line Lombard intitials in red or blue, rubricated. Some scaling of ink, especially on flesh sides, the gold initials slightly rubbed, f. 20 repaired at corner and in lower margin before ruling.
BINDING
Original wrapper of blind-stamped goatskin over thin pasteboard; rubbed, lacking two pairs of fabric ties. The construction of the binding is unusual in that the pasteboard as well as the leather wraps around the spine. The three vellum quires were sewn without cords directly into the pasteboard, into which were quired three folds of paper that wrap around the entire textblock; of the paper folds, the two inner ones form the flyleaves and the outer one the pastedowns. Quires a and b are now detached and laid in, and the sewing of quire c is very loose.
TEXT
Office of St. Martha (ff. 1r-9r). Office of St. Monica (ff. 9v-15v). Suffrages (commemorationes) to St. Augustine, St. Monica, St. Mary the Virgin, the Apostles, St. Augustine, St. Martha, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Monica and St. Jerome, with prayers De pace and to St. Martha (ff. 9v-19v; f. 20 blank but ruled).
According to the inscription on the flyleaf, this manuscript of the offices of St. Martha and St. Monica was used by the community of Augustinian canonesses in Milan. This monastery, dedicated to St. Martha, was founded in 1345 and its rule was approved in 1405. In 1515 the community undertook the contruction of a new church, and it is possible that this codex was copied at that time. The cult of St. Martha, who appears in the Gospels as the sister of Mary and Lazarus, dates from an early period. St. Monica (331-387), the mother of St. Augustine, was present with him at the time of his conversion, which took place in Milan in 387. In the Confessions, from which the readings for this office are taken, Augustine gave great credit to her influence on his life. Although her tomb at Ostia became the object of veneration soon after her death there late in 387, her cult developed later in the Middle Ages. She would have been regarded as a particularly suitable patron for the Augustinian canonesses of Milan.
PROVENANCE
Augustinian canonesses of St. Martha, Milan, seventeenth-century inscription on flyleaf (Questo libro contiene l'ufficio per S. Marta, & per S. Monaca madre di S. Agostino; seruiua per le monache de s. Marta in Milano Agostinianae) -- No. 1158 in an unidentified collection, inscription on second front flyleaf verso -- Geo. A. Leavitt & Co., Auctioneers, New York, no. 41 in an unidentified sale, probably 1880s, printed label on front pastedown and printed catalogue description laid in -- Byron Reed, acquired before 1892.
MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM, 20 leaves, a-b 8 c 4, signed at the lower right under the last line of text on the recto of each leaf in the first half of each quire. 190 x 140mm. (7 5/8 x 5 1/2 in.), written in black or brown ink in a rounded Italian Gothic script, vertical ruling in lead, horizontal ruling in pale brown ink, each line of text written between two ruled lines, single columns of 21 lines, justification (152 x 102mm.). One 7-line blue Lombard initial (f. lr) and three 2-line liquid gold Lombard initials (ff. 2r, 16v, 19r), all with red pen-flourishing; simple 2-line Lombard intitials in red or blue, rubricated. Some scaling of ink, especially on flesh sides, the gold initials slightly rubbed, f. 20 repaired at corner and in lower margin before ruling.
BINDING
Original wrapper of blind-stamped goatskin over thin pasteboard; rubbed, lacking two pairs of fabric ties. The construction of the binding is unusual in that the pasteboard as well as the leather wraps around the spine. The three vellum quires were sewn without cords directly into the pasteboard, into which were quired three folds of paper that wrap around the entire textblock; of the paper folds, the two inner ones form the flyleaves and the outer one the pastedowns. Quires a and b are now detached and laid in, and the sewing of quire c is very loose.
TEXT
Office of St. Martha (ff. 1r-9r). Office of St. Monica (ff. 9v-15v). Suffrages (commemorationes) to St. Augustine, St. Monica, St. Mary the Virgin, the Apostles, St. Augustine, St. Martha, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Monica and St. Jerome, with prayers De pace and to St. Martha (ff. 9v-19v; f. 20 blank but ruled).
According to the inscription on the flyleaf, this manuscript of the offices of St. Martha and St. Monica was used by the community of Augustinian canonesses in Milan. This monastery, dedicated to St. Martha, was founded in 1345 and its rule was approved in 1405. In 1515 the community undertook the contruction of a new church, and it is possible that this codex was copied at that time. The cult of St. Martha, who appears in the Gospels as the sister of Mary and Lazarus, dates from an early period. St. Monica (331-387), the mother of St. Augustine, was present with him at the time of his conversion, which took place in Milan in 387. In the Confessions, from which the readings for this office are taken, Augustine gave great credit to her influence on his life. Although her tomb at Ostia became the object of veneration soon after her death there late in 387, her cult developed later in the Middle Ages. She would have been regarded as a particularly suitable patron for the Augustinian canonesses of Milan.
PROVENANCE
Augustinian canonesses of St. Martha, Milan, seventeenth-century inscription on flyleaf (Questo libro contiene l'ufficio per S. Marta, & per S. Monaca madre di S. Agostino; seruiua per le monache de s. Marta in Milano Agostinianae) -- No. 1158 in an unidentified collection, inscription on second front flyleaf verso -- Geo. A. Leavitt & Co., Auctioneers, New York, no. 41 in an unidentified sale, probably 1880s, printed label on front pastedown and printed catalogue description laid in -- Byron Reed, acquired before 1892.