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BIBLE LEAF Ref 389 recto
This is a superb illuminated leaf with a historiated initial of King David from a Bible that was made in England, probably Oxford, c.1250.
The text on this leaf starts in the “Prologus sive origo psalmorum” or “Prologue or origin of the psalms” which would have opened with “David filius Jesse cum esset in regno suo”. This is the “Pseudo-Bede Prologue. The person known as “Pseudo-Bede” was Manegold von Lautenbach (died c.1103).
The first initial begins a letter sent from Jerome to Eustochiom concerning the Psalter and his corrected translation.
The historiated initial begins the text of the Psalms. This part of the text goes from Psalm 1 through to Psalm 9, verse 12.
The size of the leaf is 196/198mm x 141mm (7 7/10 – 7 8/10ins. x 5 11/20ins.).
On the recto is a historiated initial of king David which is fully described in the detail picture.
PURCHASE DETAILS: -
Purchased from the New England Auction Company Inc., Danbury, Connecticut, USA, Lot 50 in their auction on 22nd. August 2014.
PROVENANCE: -
1.On the verso is a pencil annotation that the leaf is 1250, English, Oxford and “Ege”. It is probable therefore that it is from the same Bible that leaves from which were Folio 13 in Ege’s “Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century”.
2.Also on the verso, in the bottom right corner, is the note “Zion 14”. This is likely the reference of the late Daniel Meyer Friedenberg from whose collection this leaf was being sold by New England Auction Company Inc.
3.Daniel Meyer Friedenberg (24th. February 1923 – 28th. August 2011) who admired achievement, particularly in scholarship and writing, and published several poems, more than 100 articles and seven books He was an expert in Judaica and served as part-time Curator of Coins and Medals at the Jewish Museum of New York from 1962-1982. He believed in philanthropy and donated his collections to museums and colleges, including significant Judaica, Pre-Columbian art, first edition books and modern art.
OTHER LEAVES: -
10 leaves that included 8 historiated initials were Lot 25 in the Sotheby’s sale of “Single Leaves and Miniatures from Western Illuminated Manuscripts” held on 25th. April 1983 where they were described as “These are interesting leaves from a highly finished manuscript. The localisation of thirteenth-century English illumination is notoriously difficult. The present leaves have much in common with the W. de Brailes style.”. These leaves had previously been in the Rosenbaum Collection.
Gwara Handlist 13.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
Whilst there are traces of old mounts on the verso, this is a superb leaf with decoration of the highest quality.
BIBLE LEAF Ref 389 recto
This is a superb illuminated leaf with a historiated initial of King David from a Bible that was made in England, probably Oxford, c.1250.
The text on this leaf starts in the “Prologus sive origo psalmorum” or “Prologue or origin of the psalms” which would have opened with “David filius Jesse cum esset in regno suo”. This is the “Pseudo-Bede Prologue. The person known as “Pseudo-Bede” was Manegold von Lautenbach (died c.1103).
The first initial begins a letter sent from Jerome to Eustochiom concerning the Psalter and his corrected translation.
The historiated initial begins the text of the Psalms. This part of the text goes from Psalm 1 through to Psalm 9, verse 12.
The size of the leaf is 196/198mm x 141mm (7 7/10 – 7 8/10ins. x 5 11/20ins.).
On the recto is a historiated initial of king David which is fully described in the detail picture.
PURCHASE DETAILS: -
Purchased from the New England Auction Company Inc., Danbury, Connecticut, USA, Lot 50 in their auction on 22nd. August 2014.
PROVENANCE: -
1.On the verso is a pencil annotation that the leaf is 1250, English, Oxford and “Ege”. It is probable therefore that it is from the same Bible that leaves from which were Folio 13 in Ege’s “Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century”.
2.Also on the verso, in the bottom right corner, is the note “Zion 14”. This is likely the reference of the late Daniel Meyer Friedenberg from whose collection this leaf was being sold by New England Auction Company Inc.
3.Daniel Meyer Friedenberg (24th. February 1923 – 28th. August 2011) who admired achievement, particularly in scholarship and writing, and published several poems, more than 100 articles and seven books He was an expert in Judaica and served as part-time Curator of Coins and Medals at the Jewish Museum of New York from 1962-1982. He believed in philanthropy and donated his collections to museums and colleges, including significant Judaica, Pre-Columbian art, first edition books and modern art.
OTHER LEAVES: -
10 leaves that included 8 historiated initials were Lot 25 in the Sotheby’s sale of “Single Leaves and Miniatures from Western Illuminated Manuscripts” held on 25th. April 1983 where they were described as “These are interesting leaves from a highly finished manuscript. The localisation of thirteenth-century English illumination is notoriously difficult. The present leaves have much in common with the W. de Brailes style.”. These leaves had previously been in the Rosenbaum Collection.
Gwara Handlist 13.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
Whilst there are traces of old mounts on the verso, this is a superb leaf with decoration of the highest quality.