Antiques for Sale > Books, Manuscripts & Autographs

IM-8875: (288 x190 mm) Original leaf from a medieval manuscript folio Bible with illuminations from an artist identified by Robert Branner (Manuscript painting in Paris During the Reign of Saint Louis) as a member of the ''Main-line of the Sainte-Chapelle Group''. Latin gothic script, hand-written in brown ink, on animal vellum. Rubricated chapter numbers, initials and marginalia in red and blue. 49 lines of text in double columns.  

France: Paris,  c. 1247 A.D.    The large size of the leaf is unusual in 13^th century Bible production!

One exceptional eight-line initial with a miniature of  King David in water, looking upward in prayer and God in heaven above. The initial is in pink with white tracery on a heavily burnished gold ground surrounded by deep blue with delicate white penwork & gold bezants extending into the margin in blue, orange & gold;  Two multi-line illuminated  initials in red with blue pen-work & blue with red penwork extending along the center margin; numerous one-line illuminated initials alternating in red & deep blue.

This leaf begins Psalm 67 (King James 68) 3-36: ''Sicut...'' (As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish...). The initial with the miniature begins the Sailor's Psalm 68 (KJ 69) complete: ''Salvum...'' (Save me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul...). The illuminated ''D'' begins Psalm 69 (KJ 70) complete: ''Deus...'' (O God, come to my assistance...). The illuminated ''I'' begins Psalm 70 (KJ 71) 1-3: ''In te...'' (In thee, O Lord, I have hoped...).