Manuscript on parchment (poor quality, yellow and speckled on hair side) of William of Melitona, Commentarius in Ecclesiasticum. Copied from a stationer's exemplum secundum pecias
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in neat gothic bookhand., One historiated initial of fine quality on f. 11r, 9-line, reddish brown with white filigree against blue ground with white filigree, edged in gold, showing the author and three companions, presenting a book to a seated monarch dressed in a blue robe against a reddish ground with geometric designs in blue, black and red. Terminals of initial extend as a bar border into inner margin, blue and reddish brown against reddish-brown and blue grounds with white filigree and touches of gold. Border terminates in lower margin in a spray of spiky ivy, blue with gold leaves. Flourished initials, 6- to 3-line, blue or red with red and/or blue penwork designs, often extending the entire length of the text column. Running titles in red and blue. Paragraph marks alternate red and blue. Biblical passages underlined in red. Initials touched with red. Remains of instructions to rubricator., and Binding: Fifteenth century, Spain. Early (?) resewing on four tawed skin, slit straps or double cords laced into grooves in wooden boards. Beaded, red, green and natural color secondary endbands are sewn on tawed skin cores laced into the boards. The spine is lined with vellum between supports. Front and back (mostly concealed by another parchment leaf) pastedowns from a liturgical manuscript with neumes (Spain, 12th century). Remains of contemporary rectangular label on lower board: "Holcot super eccl***/ cum". Covered in brown sheepskin, blind-tooled with a central panel and alternate concentric frames filled with rope interlace with red bordering fillets. Spine: supports defined with double fillets on the spine and an X with a central cross-bar in the panels. There are four fastenings, the catches on the lower board, the clasp straps fastened with star-headed nails.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
William, of Melitona.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Pecia
