c 1470-1490 Gregorian Chant - Italy - Elaborate Initials

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Original leaf from an Italian Antiphonal on animal parchment. (590 x 420mm – 23.25 x 16.5”)

The manuscript text & music (five lines of music on a four-line stave) were beautifully executed by hand in dark brown ink on a red stave in large gothic hand.

Two  exceptional large initials alternating in red with intricate external and internal blue penwork  and deep blue with intricate external and internal red penwork

Italy (Florence?), c. 1470-1490

The text begins part of John 16:20:  “[Mundus] autem gaudebit…” ([The world] shall rejoice…).

The large elaborate illuminated “L” begins “Lux perpetua lucebit…” (A perpetual light shall shine upon thy saints, O Lord, for eternity.  Alleluia, alleluia).

Closely related in style and size to the initials in a group of leaves from a choirbook known to be illuminated in Florence by Frater Julianus de Florentia (Guliano Amidei?) c.1470. Examples are illustrated in Ferrini, 1987, Catalog One # 60 and Quaritch Medieval Manuscript Leaves, No 50, p 37. 

Antiphonals contain chants for the canonical hours of the Divine Office: 1st vespers or vigil of great feasts, matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers & compline.

A large leaf with two very attractive initials. The verso, or flesh side, shows areas of text that have adhered less well.

As is usual with Medieval and Renaissance parchment, the hair side of the leaf is darker than the flesh side, but may take ink somewhat better.  The differences in tone caused scribes to arrange their quires so that the hair side of one sheet faced the hair side of the next, and the flesh side faced the flesh side.

Shipped unmatted

  • Inventory# IM-12865
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