Beschreibung:

Collection of leaves from medieval Bibles, in Latin, decorated or illuminated manuscripts on parchment [England and France, thirteenth century] Seven leaves, comprising: (a) leaf with second prologue of Jerome for Job, then Job 1:1-4:11, double column of 50 lines, red rubrics, versal numbers, running titles and paragraph marks in alternate red or blue, larger initials in same with elaborate multi-coloured penwork decoration reaching far into margins, one historiated initial in orange-brown with white penwork, terminating in tiny orange and blue acanthus blooms, enclosing Job in the dungheap before a female onlooker, all on brightly burnished gold grounds, small spots and stains, else good condition, 192 by 139mm., France (Paris), thirteenth century; (b) leaf with end of Nahum and Habbakuk 1:1-2:8, double column of 49 lines, capitals touched in red, paragraph marks in red or dark blue, versal numbers and running titles in alternate red or blue, 2-line initials in same decorated in contrasting penwork, two larger initials in blue and orange-pink heightened with white penwork, enclosing foliage and gold bezants, and on coloured grounds, the larger of these with a long foliate extension into the bas-de-page ending in a geometric knot of coloured acanthus leaves, modern pencil folio no. '149', Ferrini's pencil mark 'VM1576' on reverse, slight cockling at edges, small spots and stains, overall good condition, 214 by 149mm., England (perhaps Oxford), mid-thirteenth century (perhaps c. 1230-40); (c) leaf with Matthew 26:60-end, followed by opening of prologue to Mark ('Marcus evangelista dei electus et ...'), in double column of 55 lines, capitals touched in red, red rubrics, textual corrections set in margins in red penwork boxes, versal numbers and running titles in alternate red or blue, small initials in same with elaborate contrasting penwork, one small initial in blue and pink heightened with white, enclosing foliage and with gold bezants mounted in its descender, small stains at inner edge, slightly cockled at edges, else good condition, 240 by 155mm., France (Paris), second half of thirteenth century; (d) leaf with Job 37:17-III Esdra 1:1-4, double column of 65 lines, capitals touched in red, one-line red initials, versal numbers in alternate red or blue in margins, running titles in same at head of page, red rubrics, one large initial in blue heightened with white circles, enclosing densely packed coloured foliage with green leaves, the whole on burgundy-red grounds with small green circles and small foliate extensions enclosing gold bezants at corners, early modern folio no. 'Cliii' on recto, one corner once folded in, small spots, else excellent condition, 205 by 149mm., France (Paris), first half of the thirteenth century; (e) leaf from the 'Interpretations of Hebrew Names', with entries from 'Beded' to 'Bethrum', in triple columns of 57 lines, with one-line red and blue initials, Ferrini mark 'VM5231' on reverse, some dampstaining to edges and discolouration there, else good condition, 200 by 150mm., France (probably Paris), first half of thirteenth century; (f and g) two leaves with I Maccabees 1:22-3:1 and II Maccabees 12: 14- 14:28, both with double column of 54 lines, with occasional biting curves, gold paragraph marks edged with blue penwork accompanying versal numbers in margin, with the initials there in alternate red or blue, running titles in same, initials in red or blue with contrasting penwork, small stains at extremities, else in excellent condition, 264 by 191mm., France, or perhaps England, c.1200 Item (b) here is from an English Bible sold in Sotheby's, 5 July 1976, lot 54 and dispersed by Bruce Ferrini. Other leaves were in his cat. 1, Important Western Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts and Illuminated Leaves (1987), nos. 15-16, and compared there to the earliest work of the celebrated English illuminator, William de Brailes.