Details
BIBLE. BOOK OF JUDITH. Single leaf from an ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[North Eastern France, Arras?; or possible Pontigny?, first quarter of the 13th century]
Leaf 460 x 320 mm., double column, 38 lines ruled in light brown ink, justification 320 x 220 mm., written in brown ink in a rounded textura, rubrics in red, headlines in alternating blue and red, the capitula in a smaller script. LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL 'A' (90 x 80 mm. with extensions) on verso, showing Judith in orange gown, sword raised standing above the sleeping Holofernes. In the background a maid is carrying Holofernes' head in a basket. Initial outlined in gold, blue with white-patterned decoration on pink ground. Ascenders ending in coiled terminals and a dragon's head. TWO LARGE DECORATED INITIALS ON RECTO. LETTER 'A' IN ROMANESQUE STYLE, 8-line, patterned with geometric motifs and foliage in blue, red and green with coiled extensions (descender cropped); and a smaller letter 'A'.
The text is the book of Judith: I:1 - II:2, beginning with the Prologue and capitula, I:1 - II:2.
This is a complete leaf from a magnificent very large Bible, which we have been unable to trace in any of the literature. The romanesque initial suggests an earlier date than the historiated initial. The Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny in Burgundy is known to have executed similar giant Bibles. Those recorded are, however, from the end of the 12th century. They were at one time believed to have been made at Canterbury.
[North Eastern France, Arras?; or possible Pontigny?, first quarter of the 13th century]
Leaf 460 x 320 mm., double column, 38 lines ruled in light brown ink, justification 320 x 220 mm., written in brown ink in a rounded textura, rubrics in red, headlines in alternating blue and red, the capitula in a smaller script. LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL 'A' (90 x 80 mm. with extensions) on verso, showing Judith in orange gown, sword raised standing above the sleeping Holofernes. In the background a maid is carrying Holofernes' head in a basket. Initial outlined in gold, blue with white-patterned decoration on pink ground. Ascenders ending in coiled terminals and a dragon's head. TWO LARGE DECORATED INITIALS ON RECTO. LETTER 'A' IN ROMANESQUE STYLE, 8-line, patterned with geometric motifs and foliage in blue, red and green with coiled extensions (descender cropped); and a smaller letter 'A'.
The text is the book of Judith: I:1 - II:2, beginning with the Prologue and capitula, I:1 - II:2.
This is a complete leaf from a magnificent very large Bible, which we have been unable to trace in any of the literature. The romanesque initial suggests an earlier date than the historiated initial. The Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny in Burgundy is known to have executed similar giant Bibles. Those recorded are, however, from the end of the 12th century. They were at one time believed to have been made at Canterbury.