Beschreibung:

Francesco Marmitta (c.1460-1505) The Dall'Armi Hours, use of Rome, in Latin and Italian, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Bologna, c.1490s (after 1492)] A lavish and highly individual testament to the rich Bolognese collaboration between the great painter and jeweller Francesco Marmitta and the prolific scribe Pierantonio Sallando da Reggio: a jewel-like Hours produced for a member of the Dall’Armi family of Bologna. 110 x 74mm. iii + 254 + leaves, complete, collation: 110+1 (i an inserted singleton), 2-910, 1012+1 (xi an inserted singleton), 114, 1210+1 (i an inserted singleton), 13-2110, 2210+1 (ix an inserted singleton), 236, 2412, 254, 2612, catchwords survive, 12 lines written in a Renaissance humanistic script by Pierantonio Sallando da Reggio, ruled space: 55 x 36mm, rubrics in blue or gold, c.200 illuminated initials throughout, often beside panels of jewelled and floral designs and all with floral and arabesque borders, one large epigraphic initial within a full jewelled border, 12 large historiated initials and 4 full-page miniatures within full Renaissance borders (some outer margins lightly damp-stained affecting illumination in some places, cropping to the upper margins of some of the miniatures, calendar misbound at the end). Early 18th-century brown morocco gilt (lacking clasps). Red slipcase and quarter-morocco box, gilt title on spine. Content: Hours of the Virgin, use of Rome, ff.2-101:matins f.2, lauds f.19, prime f.37, terce f.43v, sext f.49, none f.54, vespers f.59, compline f.70; Mass of the Virgin ff.101v-106v; blanks ff.107-8; Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.110-142v; Office of the Dead, use of Rome, ff.143-211v; Hours of the Cross ff.212-217; Hours of the Holy Ghost ff.219-223v; blanks ff.224-6; prayers in Italian and Latin ff.227-241; blank f.242; Calendar ff.243-254v. Script: The script is attributable to the distinguished scribe Pierantonio Sallando da Reggio, who worked in Bologna for Giovanni II Bentivoglio and other patrons from 1489 until his death in c.1540 (see M. Medica, 'La miniatura a Bologna al tempo di Giovanni II Bentivoglio', Il Libro d'Ore di Bonaparte Ghislieri, 2008, pp.44-61). He was a reader at the Studium of Bologna, first of grammar and later of ars scribendi. James Wardrop was the first to identify the initials ‘P. Ant. Sal.’ on f.196v of a De re aedificatoria now at the Vatican Library (Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Urb.lat.264) with the calligrapher Pierantonio Sallando (see J. Wardrop, ‘Pierantonio Sallando and Girolamo Pagliarolo scribes to Giovanni Il Bentivoglio’, 1946, pp.4-30). Albinia de la Mare, however, questioned this attribution in unpublished manuscript notes now kept in the manuscripts Department of the Bodleian Library of Oxford, suggesting instead that the initials be read as ‘presbiter Antonius de Salla’ (on distinguishing Pierantonio Sallando from Antonio da Salla, see L. Nuvoloni, ‘Pier Antonio Sallando o “il più excellente scriptore credo habia il mondo”, Il libro d’Ore Durazzo, Modena, 2008, pp.145-188). Nuvoloni lists 4 signed codices by Pier Antonio Sallando (a De re culinaria, Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Canon. Class. Lat. 168; a Vita Vitelli Nicolai Tifernatis, Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. lat. 2949; the Manzoli Hours, Geneva, Comites Latentes Collection, cod. 49; and a Legenda Sancte Iuliane vidue de Bancis de Bononia, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. lat. 3708) and 13 other manuscripts attributable to him (including the Offiziolo Durazzo, Genova, Biblioteca Civica Berio, ms. Arm. 1; the present manuscript no 3 on the list; see Nuvoloni, 2008, pp.178-9). Perhaps the most famous of Sallando's manuscripts is the Hours of Bonaparte Ghisilieri (British Library, Yates Thompson 29) illuminated by Amico Aspertini Perugino and Matteo da Milano. Illumination: The sumptuous and highly individual miniatures are the work of the great painter and jeweller Francesco Marmitta of Parma (c.1462-1505). The palette combining dark red