Description: FROM A WONDERFULLY ILLUMINATED 13thC PSALTER Latin, 20 lines of Gothic text, 7" x 5 3/8", circa 1280. Origin is ascribed to England due to other confirmed English Psalters with similar line fillers and an image of St Thomas Beckett, former Archbishop of Canterbury, found on another leaf from the same parent manuscript. This leaf contains several zoomorphic elements and hybrid creatures utilized as line fillers in red and blue ink. These fantastical oddities would be very much at home in a Dr. Suess book and include a long necked dragon/bird hybrid, a fire breathing monstrosity with a human head wearing a crown, a whimsical two legged beast with a spots and curled tail seemingly running, along with nine other more conventional line fillers and lastly ... a very sad looking fish. On the recto is a large (4.75") illuminated dragon extending past fourteen lines of text and into the lower margin. In total on this leaf, there are thirteen versal initials in burnished gold or blue ink, each with surrounding red or blue intricate penwork. Two other initials with penwork are found within the text body. On the verso, Psalm 63 ("Deus, Deus meus, ad te de luce vigilo. Sitivit...") is introduced by what remains of a 4-line high historiated illuminated initial topped by a dragon whose tail descends nearly eight lines down along the margin. Although the image is mostly lost, one can still easily see a seated man, surely King David, with his crown and cloak, writing. PROVENANCE Formerly in the collection of the late Esther Rosenbaum, leaves from the parent manuscript have appeared at various auctions since the 1960s. These include at Sotheby's in April 1983 (sold to Quaritch), December 1991, and 1992, and another in 2003. Other sister leaves were at an exhibition on prayer books in Cologne, Schnüttgen Museum in 1987. A COA from a professional Antiquarian Map and Manuscript dealer will be included. CONDITION The pictures are an accurate representation of the condition of this leaf. Leaf has no tears or holes and is soundly intact. The dragon with the descender on the recto is in excellent condition minus a small bit of trimming at bottom of page. There is soiling / discoloration throughout the leaf and some stains on both the recto and verso as seen in the images. Heavy wear and fading to all the versal initials. As noted above, near total loss of the inhabited historiated initial. Although that is unfortunate, that is factored into the pricing here as leaves from this Psalter often list for thousands more when in ideal condition. SHIPPING This leaf will be sent safely and securely and mailed within three business days. There is a default shipping method, but there should be a few options to choose from at checkout. If you prefer a different method, please contact me before purchasing. I am typically fine with the buyer's choice (Fed Ex, UPS) although I'm not a big fan of USPS. Local pickup available if feasible for buyer.
Price: 2000 USD
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
End Time: 2024-11-11T01:35:06.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Type: Illuminated Manuscript
Place of Publication: England
Language: Latin
Region: Europe
Material: Vellum
Subject: Religion, Bibles
Original/Facsimile: Original
