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Details
GRADUAL -- CHRIST AND TWO APOSTLES, in an initial A on a bifolium from a Gradual, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[Tuscany, late 13th century]
308 x 225mm (single leaf), 155 x 120mm overall (initial with terminals). A bifolium with foliation in red in outer margins of versos I and X, with eight lines of music of square notation on a four-line stave in red above text in a gothic bookhand, rubrics in red, one-line initials alternately red or blue with penwork flourishing of the other colour, three-line initial in red, green, blue, pink and burnished gold with three figures in half-length, Christ blessing above two bearded apostles, the initial staves terminating in dragon-heads and acanthus (waterstaining and rubbing to outer sides of bifolium with some restoration of ink, vellum repair to head of gutter, and slit at top outer corner).
This bifolium has the opening leaf of a Gradual with chants for mass on the first Sunday in Advent. The opening introit, 'Ad te levavi', with the historiated initial is on the verso of f.I while the recto carries the antiphons and psalm verses, opening with 'Asperges me domine hyssopo et mundabor', recited during the sprinkling of holy water on the altar prior to mass. The conjoint folio X continues with the tractus 'Qui regis Israhel' and the offertory 'Exulta satis filia syon'.
This is a handsome initial executed in an emphatic but detailed style. It was part of a volume said to be from Pistoia Cathedral, purchased in Florence and presented to the Library of Bradford Academy in Bradford, Massachusetts around 1885. The volume comprised 232 (de Ricci, no. 4976) or 230 leaves (Goodspeed's sale catalogue), of which leaves foliated 5, 6 and 111-130 inclusive were already lacking. This was the only historiated initial. The manuscript was sold and broken up by Goodspeed's before 1984.
[Tuscany, late 13th century]
308 x 225mm (single leaf), 155 x 120mm overall (initial with terminals). A bifolium with foliation in red in outer margins of versos I and X, with eight lines of music of square notation on a four-line stave in red above text in a gothic bookhand, rubrics in red, one-line initials alternately red or blue with penwork flourishing of the other colour, three-line initial in red, green, blue, pink and burnished gold with three figures in half-length, Christ blessing above two bearded apostles, the initial staves terminating in dragon-heads and acanthus (waterstaining and rubbing to outer sides of bifolium with some restoration of ink, vellum repair to head of gutter, and slit at top outer corner).
This bifolium has the opening leaf of a Gradual with chants for mass on the first Sunday in Advent. The opening introit, 'Ad te levavi', with the historiated initial is on the verso of f.I while the recto carries the antiphons and psalm verses, opening with 'Asperges me domine hyssopo et mundabor', recited during the sprinkling of holy water on the altar prior to mass. The conjoint folio X continues with the tractus 'Qui regis Israhel' and the offertory 'Exulta satis filia syon'.
This is a handsome initial executed in an emphatic but detailed style. It was part of a volume said to be from Pistoia Cathedral, purchased in Florence and presented to the Library of Bradford Academy in Bradford, Massachusetts around 1885. The volume comprised 232 (de Ricci, no. 4976) or 230 leaves (Goodspeed's sale catalogue), of which leaves foliated 5, 6 and 111-130 inclusive were already lacking. This was the only historiated initial. The manuscript was sold and broken up by Goodspeed's before 1984.