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BIBLE LEAF Ref 443 verso
This is a leaf from a Bible that was probably produced in France (or perhaps in England) c.1200.
The text is from the First Book of Maccabees beginning at chapter 1, in verse 22 and ending at chapter 3 in verse 1.
The size of the leaf is 264mm x 191mm (10 4/10ins. x 7 11/20ins.).
ILLUMINATION AND DECORATION: -
The decoration of this leaf is particularly interesting in that it was completed at two different times. The original decoration is: -
Seven red or blue initials with contrasting pale blue or red penwork (one thirteen-line), six two-line; and
Headlines in red and blue capitals.
Added a little later are: -
Chapter numbers in the margin in red and blue preceded by paraph marks in highly burnished gold with blue penwork.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
This is a superb addition to the collection for two reasons. Firstly, except for a small stain in the bottom margin of the recto, it is in extremely good, clean condition and has been written by a very competent scribe. Secondly, whilst it is not possible to say whether the origin of the leaf is France or England, it is possible, with some degree if certainty, to date it to c.1200.
The leaf was certainly written after c.1175 because where “pp” is written the letters bite into each other. The leaf cannot have been written after the first year or two of the thirteenth century because the decorated initials here are of the style that Bibles were written before Stephen Langton standardised the chapter numbers. Prior to him doing this, Books of the Bible were often divided into short, impractical and non-standard little sections. On this leaf those sections have the decorated initials at: -
Recto: -Chapter 1,verse 57 “D”Chapter 2, verse 1 “I”
Chapter 2, verse 15 “E”
Verso: -Chapter 2, verse 29 “T”Chapter 2, verse 40 “E”
Chapter 2, verse 49 “E”Chapter 3, verso 1 “E”
Standardisation became necessary because commentaries were being written, and for study. In order to overcome the problem of these little sections, the Bibles that had been produced had the new, standard, chapter numbers added in the margins and that is what has been done here, with the added improvement of illumination.
Ins. Nos. 0441 and 0443 are from the same Bible.
BIBLE LEAF Ref 443 verso
This is a leaf from a Bible that was probably produced in France (or perhaps in England) c.1200.
The text is from the First Book of Maccabees beginning at chapter 1, in verse 22 and ending at chapter 3 in verse 1.
The size of the leaf is 264mm x 191mm (10 4/10ins. x 7 11/20ins.).
ILLUMINATION AND DECORATION: -
The decoration of this leaf is particularly interesting in that it was completed at two different times. The original decoration is: -
Seven red or blue initials with contrasting pale blue or red penwork (one thirteen-line), six two-line; and
Headlines in red and blue capitals.
Added a little later are: -
Chapter numbers in the margin in red and blue preceded by paraph marks in highly burnished gold with blue penwork.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
This is a superb addition to the collection for two reasons. Firstly, except for a small stain in the bottom margin of the recto, it is in extremely good, clean condition and has been written by a very competent scribe. Secondly, whilst it is not possible to say whether the origin of the leaf is France or England, it is possible, with some degree if certainty, to date it to c.1200.
The leaf was certainly written after c.1175 because where “pp” is written the letters bite into each other. The leaf cannot have been written after the first year or two of the thirteenth century because the decorated initials here are of the style that Bibles were written before Stephen Langton standardised the chapter numbers. Prior to him doing this, Books of the Bible were often divided into short, impractical and non-standard little sections. On this leaf those sections have the decorated initials at: -
Recto: -Chapter 1,verse 57 “D”Chapter 2, verse 1 “I”
Chapter 2, verse 15 “E”
Verso: -Chapter 2, verse 29 “T”Chapter 2, verse 40 “E”
Chapter 2, verse 49 “E”Chapter 3, verso 1 “E”
Standardisation became necessary because commentaries were being written, and for study. In order to overcome the problem of these little sections, the Bibles that had been produced had the new, standard, chapter numbers added in the margins and that is what has been done here, with the added improvement of illumination.
Ins. Nos. 0441 and 0443 are from the same Bible.