Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of Hebrew Scripture. Written for Jacob, son of Rabbi Benjamin of Montalcino
Description:
In Hebrew., Script: Written in cursive Italian Hebrew script, with square initial letters., The extremely fine decoration is in the Florentine style of the third quarter of the 15th century. Two full-page miniatures: f. 2v David beheading Goliath (Psalms) and f. 110v Job on the dunghill, with the three tempters. Miniatures accompanied by elegantly illuminated full borders of pink and blue flowers with green stems and yellow fruit issuing from yellow vases; gold dots and hair-spray. Putti and brightly colored birds appear among foliate ornamentation. Polylobed and circular medallions with miniatures in borders. Other borders, without miniatures, contain medallions of busts of prophets, some holding scrolls. One border f. 30v without medallions. Borders of ff. 30v, 80r, 111r are less carefully executed than rest of illumination and may be by another artist. The opening word of Psalms 42, 73, 90 and 107, as well as of Job and Proverbs, occurs in a panel with foliate borders in burnished gold. First letter in each chapter of Psalms, and first word in each chapter of Job and Proverbs framed in red or blue (one in gold, f. 111r) with purple or red penwork flourishes., and Binding: Seventeenth century. Red calf over beech boards, gold-tooled with a floral border and flower vases and arabesques in the center. Gilt, gauffered edges and woodblock paste paper endleaves and pastedowns.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript fragment on parchment bifolium of Psalms 113.2-117.1; missing Psalm 113.11.
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in fine Italian minuscule., Historiated initial containing an imploring figure for Psalm 114, 4-line, on f. 1v, with the hand of God descending from heaven forming the ascender of the uncial d. The fact that Psalm 114 has been signalled by an initial of some ambition is unusual and probably indicates Benedictine usage for the manuscript., Partly mutilated historiated initial containing a naked (?) figure on f. 2v. Decorative initials, gold on maroon or blue ground, ff. 2r and 2v, with white vine-stem ornamentation. Headings for each Psalm in red; red initial letters for each verse, set to the left of text bounding line., Parchment trimmed, with loss of one line of text and lower margin., and Removed from a binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of a sumptuously illuminated and exceptionally well preserved manuscript of East Anglian origin
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in fine gothic bookhand., Eight of the original ten historiated initials survive. The initials are pink and blue with white filigree and dots on f. 7r incorporating intertwining leaves in pink, blue, green and orange; the figures predominantly orange, and purple with some pink, blue and green, on elaborately tooled gold, set against square grounds, quartered blue and red, with diapering. Each initial with a lavishly ornamented full border incorporating spiraling foliage, large oak leaves, flowers, knots, grotesques, and quatrefoils framing additional figures. 2-line initials for Psalms, pink and/or blue, with white filigree and dots, filled with spiraling ivy, large leaves and dots, blue, green and orange, occasionally a fleur-de-lis, flower, or diaper pattern, on gold, against pink and blue grounds, with white filigree and dots, most connected to bar borders, pink, blue, orange and gold with floral, ivy and grotesque terminals. 1-line initials for verses, gold, thickly edged in black, against irregular pink and blue grounds with white filigree and dots. Many varied line fillers in red and blue., Lower right corners of ff. 42 and 85 excised., and Binding: Sixteenth century, perhaps at Oxford. Caught-up sewing on twelve tawed, slit strap supports, only four of them laced into beech boards, the others cut off at the edges of the spine. The spine is square and the bands prominent and defined. Covered in dark brown calf, blind-tooled with two concentric frames of medallion heads and arabesques, with thistles in the outer corners of the inner panel and an ornament with a cherub's head on it in the center. Nails for catches but no marks of them on the leather, stubs of two straps on the upper board.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Psalter in English, in the 8-part liturgical division, beginning defectively. Text is the later version of the Wycliffite translation of the Psalms. 2-7) Book of Hours, use of Sarum. 8) St. Jerome's Psalter, with introductory prayer and text followed by a suffrage to the Virgin. With Notes on Historia, Alegoria, Anagogia, Tropologia
Description:
In Middle English and Latin., Script: Written in small, well formed gothic bookhand., Five 6- to 5-line initials at the liturgical divisions of the Psalter (Psalms 26, 52, 68, 80, 97; initials for Psalms 1, 38, and 109 missing, offset initials on ff. 35v, 109r, and 156r), pink and blue with white highlights against cusped gold grounds, filled with brown, blue, and pink foliage with curling foliate serifs; pink, blue and gold bar border in outer margin with foliate shoots, terminals and horizontal extensions full across in upper and lower margins. Eleven 5- to 4-line initials (ff. 139v, 158v, 161r, 162r, 163r, 163v, 164r, 165v, 168r, 169v, 176v), gold, edged in black against a cusped ground, quartered in blue and pink, with white highlights and floral hair-spray. 3-line initials, blue with red penwork throughout. Capitals alternating red and blue. Rubrics throughout. Red and blue line-fillers in litany., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. Brown leather case, blind-tooled. Red edges. Smells like a Middleton binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Devotional literature, English (Middle), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of a Liturgical Psalter (Pss. 1-108) with hymns, canticles, and antiphons. Capitals A and B in outer margins every two Psalms, perhaps to denote change in reader. With Hymns for Matins and Lauds
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in a large round gothic bookhand., One crude historiated initial, 6-line (Ps. 1): David seated on ground with both hands raised in prayer, against a blue ground, the letter-form tan, orange, and red with white filigree; large blue, green, pink, and red acanthus leaves at the corners, against a gold ground, edged with two thick black bands, penwork, gold dots, and hair-spray. In bottom margin a "YHS" monogram, against a blue ground, inside sunburst and green, pink, and blue wreath, supported by large bud from which sprout two large acanthus leaves, red berries, gold dots and hair-spray, as above. 6- or 5-line initials red and/or blue, with large green or red dots, elaborate purple calligraphic decoration, portions filled with green and tan. 2-line initials, red or blue, with calligraphic ornament and flourishes, as above. 1-line initials, blue or red, with guide-letters throughout. On f. 160v a large pen drawing of a hand pointing to text., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Sewn on five tawed skin straps. Plain, wound endbands on cores laced into tunnels in the edges of heavy wooden boards. Covered with three separate pieces of dark brown leather (cowskin?) with leather straps extending across the spine and nailed to the boards over the sewing straps. Each board has four corner pieces, a central boss and a strip of metal, probably iron, nailed around the four edges. Strap and pin fastening, the pin on the lower board, stubs of pink, tawed straps attached to the upper one. Fragments from several parchment manuscripts and early printed texts used as binding reinforcements.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of a Psalter, with astrological notes, a Calendar, and other litanies and prayers
Description:
In Latin., Written by two scribes in tiny gothic textura. Scribe 1: ff. 2v-91v; Scribe 2: ff. 91v (last folio of quire 8)-95v. Several later hands have added scribbles, prayers, and inscriptions on ff. 1r-2r, 10r, 95v, 96r, 97v, 98r, 99r., Small (6-line) and rather crude historiated initials. The initials for Ps. 52 (the Fool) and Ps. 109 (the Trinity) are missing. In each initial, the figure drawn in black and colored pink, green, and/or blue on a gold ground; the initials attached to cusped, tapering bar border, blue, red, and gold, with white highlights, with ivy terminal, black with red and green leaves. Gold and blue calligraphic initials (2-line), with blue and red penwork respectively; 1-line initials, alternating red and blue. KL monograms, gold on red and blue, with white highlights. Because the initial I was placed in the margin without an inset space in the text, the illuminator often missed it (e.g., for Ps. 70 on f. 42r; for Ps. 113 on f. 62r, and for Ps. 125 on f. 68v)., and Binding: 15th-16th centuries. Resewn on three two-layered tapes of tawed skin attached to wooden boards. The endband cores are of tawed skin with a tawed skin braid at the head, a new endband added at the tail. The spine is square and the cover adhered to it. Covered in tawed skin, originally pink, with corner tongues. Cover repaired at spine and two corners and two silver clasps added. In a flexible grey leather pouch.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Astrology, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment (sturdy) of Calendar; Psalter; Six canticles; and Litany
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in bold, early gothic bookhand. Notes by several later scribes, some of which have been erased., Full page initial B (f. 2v) in blue with pink and blue interior vine-stem patterns, on gold ground surrounded by red rectangular frame outlined in black. Smaller gold initials, 10- to 8-line, for Psalms 26, 38, 51, 52, 80, 97, 101, 109 (ff. 21r, 33v, 43r, 43v, 53v, 68r, 70r, 83r), of similar design, on blue ground with vine-stem patterns of olive green, white, and red, and rectangular frame of red and white. Other psalms introduced by gold initials, 9- to 3-line, outlined in red, infilled and surrounded by blue penwork designs; headings and first letter of each verse in red. Most decorative initials are severely rubbed., Trimming of outer margins on ff. 8 and 122 affects text., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Resewn with three strands of thread on four round, twisted, vegetable fiber cords laid in forked grooves and laced in and out of flush oak boards. The cords are pegged twice: from outside to inside and vice versa with almost square pegs. The vegetable fiber endband cores are laced into the boards, the endbands themselves wanting. The spine is rounded, with traces of adhesive. Covered in tawed skin, once white, now tan and white. The turn-ins are sometimes turned in over small fragments of a parchment manuscript, in other cases, under, and the corners cut square. There is some inscribed parchment on the outside of the upper board, probably part of a spine lining. The discoloration on the endleaves does not match the present turn-ins. There are traces of four round bosses on each board and of a pin in the center of the upper one. The white, tawed strap, most of which is now wanting, is attached to the lower board through a metal plate. One corner of the upper board is cut away and the covering of the spine and part of the boards wanting. A messy, somewhat primitive binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment (ff. 56v-57r palimpsest?) of a Psalter; with Hours of the Virgin, use unidentified
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in well formed late caroline minuscule, above the top line. Marginal notes, some with neumes above them (e.g. ff. 63v, 65r), in several later hands have been partially lost due to trimming., Initials for text divisions, 11-line (f. 115r: Ps. 101) and 7-line (f. 22r: Ps. 26, f. 40r: Ps. 38, f. 93r: Ps. 80, f. 112v: Ps. 97, f. 133r: Ps. 109), gold, with symmetrical gold tendril ornament, occasionally with dragon-head terminals, against green and mauve panelled grounds covered with dense red cross-hatching set in red and mauve frames. 7- to 2-line initials for other Psalms, red or green with red and/or green flourishes. 1-line initials for verses, alternating red and green. Headings in red and/or green throughout., and Binding: Sixteenth century. Resewn on four tawed, slit straps. Wooden boards chamfered and indented. Edges gilt. The spine is square and now lined with cloth. Covered in dark brown calf, blind-stamped with portraits of saints (one of whom may be Rochus) and fleurons in concentric panels (?); very little of the earlier cover remaining. Clasp-and-catch fastening, the catch on the upper board, the brown leather straps attached through metal plates to the lower. Rebacked with one half of the leather on the boards replaced with old leather from another book. Catches and clasps wanting. Upper sewing supports broken.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of a Psalter-Hymnal, written for a Benedictine monastery. On the rear flyleaf, a fragment of the Gospel of Mark, 1:24-31 and 36-42, in West-Saxon translation
Description:
In Latin and Anglo-Saxon., Script: Copied by three scribes, all writing Northern Gothica Textualis Formata. The fragment is copied in careful Anglo-Saxon Minuscule., The decoration consists of 1-line plain initials alternately in red and blue in the text; 2-line flourished initials in blue with red penwork with marginal extensions; 3- and 5-line litterae duplices with partial or full penwork borders (J-motifs) as indicated in art. 2. Litterae duplices also on ff. 116r, 133v, 143v (artt. 3, 6 and 7)., and Binding: Original undecorated leather over oak boards (?). Spine with three raised bands. Traces (?) of one clasp.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Benedictines. and Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Hymns, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Monasticism and religious orders, and Psalters
