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IM-8505:  (232 x 165 mm) Original leaf from a sumptuous medieval manuscript Psalter. 21 lines, written in Latin on animal parchment in gothic liturgical hand. One exceptional three-line illuminated inhabited initial in pink on a burnished gold ground with an interior floral design displaying a whimsical grotesque creature in blue, red and pink. Twenty-two illuminated one-line initials alternating in burnished gold with blue penwork, and deep blue with red penwork; nineteen illuminated line-extenders in burnished gold, and or red and blue.

Northeastern France or Paris, c. 1200-1210 – during the reign of Philip Augustus (1179-1223). The lavish use of gold leaf and high artistic quality suggest the work was made to order for a member of the court. Provenance : From a manuscript published and illustrated as item 14 in Important Illuminated Manuscripts,( 2000, ISBN 0-9645271-4-6), description by Ariane Bergeron-Foote.

The inhabited “C” begins Psalm 117 (King James 118) 1-23: “Confitemini…” (Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever…).

The devout were expected to engage in a series of daily devotions, structured around the reading of the Psalms. In the Middle Ages all 150 psalms were to be recited each day, but as this proved impractical, the sequence was restructured to encompass a full week!