An elegant original leaf from a medieval manuscript pocket Bible, written in Italy (probably Bologna), c. 1250. (197x130mm – 7 7/8 x 5 ¼ inches)
This leaf is written in Latin rotunda gothic script, ruled in red & written in brown ink in two columns of 50 lines on animal vellum. Rubricated chapter numbers, three multi-lined illuminated Lombard style initials & elegant marginalia in red & blue. The gothic text is written in extremely tiny & very well formed letters – so small that there are ten lines of text to the inch! The second illuminated “P” was originally erroneously noted as Chapter 46 (XLVI). The chapter number was removed since it continues 45:5 “Pro salute…”.
Line one continues Genesis 43:21 – 45:16: “Aperuimus saccos nostros…” (We opened our sacks, & found our money…Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother…I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt…God sent me before, that you may be preserved upon the earth, & may have food to live. Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but by the will of God…You shall tell my father of all my glory, & all things that you have seen in Egypt: make haste & bring him to me…).
Provenance: Ex-collection Otto Ege (1888-1951). Dean of Cleveland Institute of Art & Lecturer on History of the Book at Western Reserve University & Northwestern University. Ege increased awareness of the history of the book through the dissemination of individual pages to schools, libraries, calligraphers and printers. (Sister leaves are # 11 in the Portfolio of Fifty Original Leaves (Gwara HL11) – see Cary Collection - Rochester Institute (online example) and other museums.
Presented in an archival 14 x 11'' mat
