Beschreibung:

BIBLE, in Latin, with the prologues ascribed to St. Jerome, and the interpretation of Hebrew names, commencing 'Aaz apprehendens'. ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Paris, ca. 1250] 128 x 89 mm., 606 leaves, including the final blank, plus 8 medieval vellum flyleaves at the beginning and 4 at end, COMPLETE. Collation: 1-8 24 , 9-10 28 , 11 26 , 12-23 24 , 24-25 22 . 45 lines, double column, ruled in metalpoint, justification 90 x 61 mm., written in a very small gothic hand in black ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red, versal initials in Psalms alternately red and blue, two- and five-line initials on nearly every page in red or blue with contrasting penwork decoration extending the height of the page, chapter numbers and running titles in alternate red and blue capitals, 66 LARGE (6-LINE) ILLUMINATED INITIALS IN BLUE, RED AND GOLD INCORPORATING SCROLLED DRAGON AND LION GROTESQUES, 16 LARGE HISTORIATED INITIALS, including a full-page length Genesis initial, with marginal extensions, some with extensive dragon terminals. Early marginal textual correction, GENERALLY IN VERY GOOD CONDITON (upper margins cut close, some headlines cropped, illumination occasionally slightly rubbed). Early 17th-century Italian gold-tooled red morocco over pasteboard, fillets and gouges forming an architectonic design on the covers containing small tools, central stamp of the Virgin standing on the crescent moon, spine decorated in compartments, edges gilt (clasps lacking, binding restored). PROVENANCE: 1. Illuminated in Paris, but in Italy at the end of the 14th century. The eleven pages of liturgical readings on the front fly-leaves are in a 14th-century Italian hand. They include the feast of St. Francis, and the book may have been for Franciscan use. 2. Purchase note on flyleaf 'Monsr Rocci - Emit Alexander Bussini, 1691'. DECORATION: This small Bible on very fine vellum is characteristic of Parisian workshop production of the 13th century. It was almost certainly made by the Mathurin atelier, as described by R. Branner, Manuscript Painting in Paris during the Reign of Saint Louis (1977), pp. 75-77 and particularly illustrations 164 for the Genesis initial and also 165 and 173. This workshop was active between ca. 1240 and 1255 and Branner records 21 small Bibles now ascribed to them, mostly with much sparser illumination. THE SUBJECTS OF THE HISTORIATED INITIALS ARE: f.1 A monk writing at a lectern; f.4v. The Genesis initial, along the length of the page, showing the seven days of the Creation, and at foot the Crucifixion (the outer extensions are cropped); f.115v The beheading of the son of Heli; f.174 Three Jews seated; f.237 Job on his dunghill, with his wife; f.247v King David harping; f.251v Coronation of David; f.254 David pointing to his mouth; f.256v The Fool; f.259 David waist-deep in water, God above; f.262v David playing the bells; f.265 Two monks singing; f.268v The Holy Trinity; f.275 Solomon enthroned, talking to a boy; f.314v Isaiah being sawn in half; f.449 The Tree of Jesse (Matthew initial), three figures ascending from the sleeping Jesse.