Medieval Bible Leaf - 6 complete Psalms

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 A lovely original leaf from a medieval manuscript pocket Bible, written in Paris c. 1240-50. In Latin gothic micro-minuscule script, ruled in red and written in brown ink in two columns of 44 lines on animal vellum.  Rubricated chapter numbers, (150 x 100 mm - 6 x 4").

Seven multi-lined illuminated Lombard style initials &elegant marginalia red & blue. Gothic text is written in extremely tiny & very well formed letters - twelve lines of text to the inch! Recto side contains scribal omission added in the marginthis omission is surrounded by a red box indicating that the “transcription had been systematically checked for accuracy” (De Hamel, Scribes and Illuminators, p. 43).

The illuminated ''M'' begins Psalm 56 (King James 57) complete: ''Miserere...'' (Have mercy on me, O God ...). The illuminated ''S''  begins Psalm 57 (KJ 58) complete: ''Si vere...'' (If in very deed you speak justice, judge right things...). The illuminated ''E'' begins Psalm 58 (KJ 59) complete: ''Eripe...'' (Deliver me from my enemies...).  The illuminated ''D'' begins Psalm 59 (KJ 60) complete: ''Deus...'' (O God, thou hast cast us off...).  The illuminated ''E'' begins Psalm 60 (KJ 61) complete: ''Exaudi...'' (Hear, O God, my supplication...).  The illuminated ''N'' begins Psalm 61 (KJ 62) complete: ''Nonne...'' (Shall not my soul be subject to God?...).  The illuminated ''D'' begins Psalm 62 (KJ 63) 1-10: ''Deus...'' (O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day...).

The book from which this leaf came was a very high-quality production, scribed in the Johannes Grusch Workshop in Paris. Calligraphy is excellent, & the vellum is of the finest style, extremely thin & very white. Other leaves from this same book were exhibited in the Jeanne Blackburn Collection, Cleveland Art Museum (pl. 7 & 8).

This leaf is from a ''portable'' Bible of the Crusades period & would have been used in abstract study of theology or preaching of the Gospel around medieval countryside.

Shipped in archival 14x11'' mat.

  • Inventory# IM-10822
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