RMGYMss.
PSALTER-HOURS LEAF Ref 147 verso
The text is part of the Athanasian Creed from the Psalter element of the manuscript. The leaf is from a very interesting Psalter-Hours that was produced c. 1250-1300 and at various times attributed to England, Flanders and the Rhineland.
The size of the leaf is 177mm x 134mm (6 19/20ins. x 5 1/4ins.).
ILLUMINATION AND DECORATION: -
Whilst the leaf has conventional illuminated initials and line fillers, there are also Five totally unconventional line fillers of pen and ink drawings of fanciful and grotesque creatures. These are: -
1. What appear to be two men pulling the ropes that could be attached to another man hanging from a frame.
2. A cow(?) with a bell around its neck and playing a hirtenschalmei (shepherd's shawm) being persued by a dog which is almost biting its tail.
3. A seated griffin with a beak also playing a hirtenschalmei.
4. A griffin raised on its hind legs.
5. A seated griffin with a beak.
Four of the five pen and ink drawings have been cropped in a binding process, as has the penwork to the initials at the top of the recto and the bottom of the verso. This cropping is typical of most, if not all, of the leaves from the manuscript.
PROVENANCE
1. It is thought that the Psalter-Hours from which this leaf comes was broken up, perhaps in France, and the leaves dispersed in London in the mid 1960’s. Dorine Proske-van Heerdt indicates that the Psalter-Hours was in the collection of the late Esther Rosenbaum (but see comment below).
2. The leaf was described as “A very fine leaf from a Flemish Psalter, 1250-1300” in an “Exhibition of the History of Writing, The Folio Society, London, 1968”.
3. The leaf was Folio Fine Art Ltd., stock number MS 2617 at a price of £10.10. 0.
OTHER LEAVES: -
1. There are two leaves in the Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection, Item Nos. 12 and 13.
3.
2. The Rendells Catalogue 146 (1979), Item Nos. 85 and 86.
3. Bruce P. Ferrini Catalogue 1 (1987), Item Nos. 36 and 37.
4. Leaves are to be regularly found on the catalogues of Sotheby's, Maggs Bros. and other main stream dealers and Auction Houses.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
Although there is a little wear to the gold, this is a superb leaf from what must have been a a magnificent and very interesting book. The style of decoration is so different to which is usually found.
PSALTER-HOURS LEAF Ref 147 verso
The text is part of the Athanasian Creed from the Psalter element of the manuscript. The leaf is from a very interesting Psalter-Hours that was produced c. 1250-1300 and at various times attributed to England, Flanders and the Rhineland.
The size of the leaf is 177mm x 134mm (6 19/20ins. x 5 1/4ins.).
ILLUMINATION AND DECORATION: -
Whilst the leaf has conventional illuminated initials and line fillers, there are also Five totally unconventional line fillers of pen and ink drawings of fanciful and grotesque creatures. These are: -
1. What appear to be two men pulling the ropes that could be attached to another man hanging from a frame.
2. A cow(?) with a bell around its neck and playing a hirtenschalmei (shepherd's shawm) being persued by a dog which is almost biting its tail.
3. A seated griffin with a beak also playing a hirtenschalmei.
4. A griffin raised on its hind legs.
5. A seated griffin with a beak.
Four of the five pen and ink drawings have been cropped in a binding process, as has the penwork to the initials at the top of the recto and the bottom of the verso. This cropping is typical of most, if not all, of the leaves from the manuscript.
PROVENANCE
1. It is thought that the Psalter-Hours from which this leaf comes was broken up, perhaps in France, and the leaves dispersed in London in the mid 1960’s. Dorine Proske-van Heerdt indicates that the Psalter-Hours was in the collection of the late Esther Rosenbaum (but see comment below).
2. The leaf was described as “A very fine leaf from a Flemish Psalter, 1250-1300” in an “Exhibition of the History of Writing, The Folio Society, London, 1968”.
3. The leaf was Folio Fine Art Ltd., stock number MS 2617 at a price of £10.10. 0.
OTHER LEAVES: -
1. There are two leaves in the Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection, Item Nos. 12 and 13.
3.
2. The Rendells Catalogue 146 (1979), Item Nos. 85 and 86.
3. Bruce P. Ferrini Catalogue 1 (1987), Item Nos. 36 and 37.
4. Leaves are to be regularly found on the catalogues of Sotheby's, Maggs Bros. and other main stream dealers and Auction Houses.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
Although there is a little wear to the gold, this is a superb leaf from what must have been a a magnificent and very interesting book. The style of decoration is so different to which is usually found.