Original leaf from a Gregorian chant. This decorative leaf is from a large Spanish Antiphonal. Executed by hand in manuscript calligraphy on animal parchment. (525 x 400 mm - 21 5/8 x 15 3/4'')
Sixteen lines of text written in an angular gothic hand in black ink. Headings & rubrics are in red. Three exceptional three-line illuminated initials in red with a geometric and floral background in violet ink, or blue with a geometric & floral background in red ink.
Spain, c. 1480-1520.
The illuminated ''I'' begins Acts 7:56-58 ''Impetum…'' (They stopped their ears, & with one accord ran violently upon him. And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus.).
The third illuminated ''I'' begins Psalm 10 (King James 11) 8: ''Iustus…'' (For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.).
Antiphonals contain chants for the canonical hours of the Divine Office: first vespers or the vigil of great feasts, matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers and compline.
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
