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IM-9022: (125x90mm) Original leaf from a medieval manuscript Psalter.  16 lines of ruled text, written in Latin with dark brown ink in fine gothic script, on animal vellum. Eight one-line illuminated initials alternating in blue with red pen-work and gold with blue pen-work. The rinceaux border is elegantly painted with blue, red, pink, green and burnished gold. One exceptional illuminated seven-line initial in pink with an interior miniature painting of David Playing Bells. David is shown seated on a stool which is upon a tile floor. He is wearing a deep blue robe and crown of gold playing the bells.

Flanders (Ghent or Tournai), c. 1450.

The one-line illuminated “G” begins the Gloria: “Gloria...” (Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit...). The illuminated “E” containing the miniature painting begins Psalm 80 (King James 81) 1-3: “Exultate...” (Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel: the pleasant psaltery with the harp).

This leaf is from a psalter identified as the work of the Ghent Privileges Master by  Gregory Clark in his book devoted to this Flemish Master: “Made in Flanders”, publ. 2000, Brepols. It is pictured as b/w figure # 84 and further described on pgs 230-231! The psalter was sold at Sotheby’s London in 1993 and subsequently dispersed.