Dr. Jörn Günther • Antiquariat
www.guenther-rarebooks.com

CONTENTS

Manuscripts

  1. Glossed Gospels of St Luke and St John,
    Paris or northern France, c. 1210
  2. Psalter with calendar for the diocese of Trier,
    Germany,Trier, c. 1220-40
  3. Psalter and book of hours for the use of Paris,
    illuminated in the du Prat atelier, France, Paris,
    c. 1250-60
  4. Biblia latina, pocket bible, France, Paris, c. 1250
  5. Antiphonary, sanctoral volume, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, c. 1270-75
  6. Psalter for the use of Auxerre, France,
    Burgundy or Paris, c. 1300
  7. Antiphonary for a Franciscan convent,
    illuminated by Neri da Rimini, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, dated 1314
  8. Vita Sancti Antonii Eremitae – Inventio et
    Translatio, illuminated by the Maestro del 1328,
    Italy, Bologna, c. 1320
  9. Schönrainer Liederhandschrift. Middle High
    German Minnesang manuscript, Germany,
    Hesse, c. 1330
  10. Missale Romanum, illuminated in the workshop
    of Cristoforo Orimina, Italy, Naples, c. 1355
  11. Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae and
    Jean de Meun, Testament, France, Paris, c. 1400
  12. Guido de Columna, Historia destructionis Troiae
    and Giovanni Boccaccio, Il Filostrato, Italy,
    Naples, dated 1414 and 1413
  13. Book of hours for the use of Paris, illuminated
    by the workshop of the Bedford Master, France,
    Paris, c. 1405-10
  14. Compilation of pastoral and mystical texts
    from the library of the Celestines of Marcoussis,
    illuminated by the Hoo Master, France, Paris,
    c. 1425-35
  15. Book of hours for the use of Toul, illuminated
    by the Master of Pommersfelden 351, France,
    Toul or Metz, c. 1435-40
  16. Dominican hymnal, illuminated by the
    Master of 1446, Italy, Bologna, c. 1450
  17. Nicolaus de Lyra, Postilla litteralis super
    Vetus Testamentum, two volumes, Italy,
    Ferrara?, 1441-46
  18. Compilation of history bible and world chronicle,
    the Antichrist and the XV signs and other texts,
    Austria, c. 1450
  19. Book of hours and psalter in Dutch, illuminated
    by the Master of the Haarlem Bible, Masters of
    Otto von Moerdrecht, Masters of Gijsbrecht
    van Brederode et al., northern Netherlands,
    Haarlem, dated 1453
  20. Book of hours for the use of Rome, with
    calendar of Bruges, illuminated by the Master of
    Buchanan E.5, Flanders, Bruges, c. 1450-60
  21. Chronique anonyme universelle, parchment
    scroll, illuminated by the Master of Étienne
    Sauderat, France, Paris?, c. 1450 with additions
    after 1461 and 1467
  22. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated
    by the workshop of Bartolomeo Varnucci,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1460-70
  23. Martin Le Franc, L’Estrif de Fortune et de Vertu,
    illuminated by the Master of the Échevinage
    de Rouen, France, Rouen, c. 1465-75
  24. Book of hours for the use of Utrecht in the Dutch
    translation of Geert Grote, illuminated by one of
    the Masters of Gijsbrecht van Brederode, northern
    Netherlands, probably Utrecht, c. 1465-70
  25. Missale Fratrum Minorum for the convent
    of S. Francesco di Montone, near Perugia,
    illuminated by Bartelomeo and Giapeco
    Caporali, Italy, Perugia, 1469
  26. Book of hours for the use of Rome with
    adaptations for Poitiers and a calendar for
    Angers, illuminated by Maître François,
    France, Paris, c. 1470
  27. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated by the
    workshop of Mariano del Buono di Jacopo,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1470-75
  28. Book of hours for the use of Rome, illuminated
    by Martino da Modena, Italy, Ferrara, c. 1480-85
  29. Book of hours for Dominican use, illuminated
    by the workshop of Matteo Felice, Italy,
    Naples, c. 1480
  30. Giovanni Boccaccio, Elegia di Madonna
    Fiammetta, illuminated by Attavante degli
    Attavanti, Italy, Florence, c. 1480
  31. Book of hours for the use of Rome, Italy,
    Sicily or Naples, c. 1480-90
  32. Olivier de la Marche, Le chevalier délibéré and
    other texts, Flanders, c. 1484
  33. Prayerbook in German, Germany, Nuremberg,
    c. 1495-1500
  34. Fencing treatise with pen-and-ink drawings,
    southern Germany,Augsburg, c. 1490-1500
  35. Book of hours for the use of Paris in Latin
    and French, illuminated by an artist from the
    circle of Jean Pichore, France, Paris, c. 1500
  36. Passion prayerbook in Latin with a prayer for
    the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg, Flanders,
    Bruges, after 1517
  37. Diploma for Statilio Paolino on his award of a
    doctorate in law from the University of
    Perugia, Italy, Perugia, dated 29 October 1582
  38. Album with Italian, mainly Venetian, costumes and
    characters from the Commedia dell’Arte, Italy,
    Venice?, first quarter of the 17th century

    Miniatures

  39. Funeral mass for a dignitary, miniature from a
    breviary, France,Avignon, c. 1340-45 128
  40. A pope distributing the decretals, miniature from
    a manuscript of canon law, France, Languedoc,
    c. 1320
  41. The Adoration of the Magi, historiated initial ‘D’
    on a leaf from a missal, Italy, Siena, c. 1400-10
  42. Two martyr saints, historiated initial ‘P’ on a leaf
    from a gradual for Lucca Cathedral, illuminated by
    Martino di Bartolomeo. Italy, Lucca, c. 1394-95
  43. Investiture of St Clare on a cutting from a
    Franciscan antiphonary, Italy, Bologna or Veneto,
    c. 1430-40
  44. Trinity, historiated initial ‘G’ on a cutting from
    a choirbook, France, Savoy, c. 1450 138
  45. King David playing the psaltery, historiated
    initial ‘E’ on a leaf from a psalter, illuminated by
    Jacopo da Balsemo, Italy, Bergamo, c. 1450-55
  46. The Creation of Eve, historiated initial ‘I’ on a
    cutting from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Bonifacio Bembo, Italy, Lombardy, c. 1445
  47. Jesaia before the Almighty, historiated initial ‘A’
    on a leaf from an antiphonary, illuminated by
    a follower of the Maestro delle Vitae Imperatorum,
    Italy, Lombardy, c. 1460
  48. Batsheba bathing, miniature from the Hours of
    Guyot II Le Peley, illuminated by Jean Colombe,
    France, Bourges, c. 1480
  49. The miracle of St Michael on Mount Gargano,
    miniature from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Attavante degli Attavanti, Italy, Florence,
    between 1473 and 1502
  50. Christ taking leave of his mother, miniature
    mounted on wood, illuminated by Jacopo del
    Giallo?, Italy, Rome, c. 1540

    Key to bibliographical references

The only example of a Dutch illuminated psalter-hours known so far

19 Book of hours and psalter in Dutch

Manuscript on vellum, illuminated by the Master of the Haarlem Bible, Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, Masters of Gijsbrecht van Brederode et al. Northern Netherlands, Haarlem, dated 1453.

c. 158 x 116 mm. 317 leaves (of probably 329), foliated a, 1-254, 254bis-315. Miniatures on inserted singletons: I8-1, II8-1, III2+1, IV12+1,V12,VI4-2,VII12,VIII12+1, IX12+1, X-XI12, XII12+5, XIII-XV12, XVI4, XVII8, XVIII12+1-5, XIX12+1, XX12+1, XXI12+1, XXII12+1, XXIII12+1, XXIV12+1, XXV10+2, XXVI14-1, XXVII12+1, XXVIII12-1, XXIX6+1. – Written space: c. 100 x 63 mm, ruled in red for 24 lines.The added leaf, fol. 315, ruled faintly in black for 27 lines.Written in Textualis Formata, some sections rewritten or corrected, red rubrics, fol. 16 rubrics in red and blue, capitals stroked in red. One- to two-line initials in red and blue, three- to four-line initials with elaborate polychrome pen-flourish, seven- to eleven-line initials enclosing foliage and flowers, pen-flourishes of initials often extend along left margin, elaborated occasionally into foliage and faces. 6 historiated initials. 5 full-page miniatures with full borders of varying decoration: ink sprays with gold petals and foliage, sometimes including angels. – 16th-century German or Dutch calf over wooden boards, gilt tooling: rectangular panel in an elaborately cartouched frame with a central oval of Venus led by Amor, outer frame of rolls alternating figures of Christ child holding a cross and orb, and of putti with foliage or a foliate crown; spine gilt in 6 panels, edges gilt. Front cover and spine slightly worn, catches and clasps missing. In a modern drop back box.

PROVENANCE: 1. Made for a woman (a nun?) shown in prayer on fol. 97. Her arms are visible on fol. 17v despite later over-painting. Thierry de Bye Dolleman, specialist in the genealogy and heraldry of Haarlem and its region, identified them as belonging to the Bout family of Amsterdam. 2. Inscriptions of two 15th- or early 16th-century owners on fol. av: “katheryn pieters dochter,” and “katherijn ysbrants dochter.”Another note dated 1540 on fol. 315v names Willem van [ ]erckenne. 3.William Bragge of Birmingham (1823-84), engineer, bibliophile, and Mayor of Sheffield (his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 7-10 June 1876, lot 470). 4. Lyon, private collection (sale, Lyon-Brotteaux, 28 February 1989, lot 492).

TEXT: fol. a: Ownership notes – fol. 1-12v: Calendar of Utrecht. Entries in red:“Sinte aelbrecht confessoir” (25 June), “Sinte ieroen” (17 August), especially venerated in Holland; “Sinte bave confessoir” (1 October), patron of the principal church of Haarlem – fol. 13-16v: Computistic tables and wheel showing oppositions of sun and moon, with an Almanach from 1453 to 1550 – fol. 18-44v: Hours of the Virgin – fol. 45-60v: Hours of the Eternal Wisdom – fol. 62- 78v: Long Hours of the Cross – fol. 80-96v: Long Hours of the Holy Spirit – fol. 97-113: Hours of All Saints – fol. 113- 115v: Prayers for Communion – fol. 115v-117: Prayer to God, attributed to Thomas Aquinas – fol. 117-118v: Suffrages to St Michael, All Angels and a Guardian Angel – fol. 120- 134v: Penitential psalms and Litany – fol. 135-163v: Office of the Dead – fol. 164-171v: Prayers for Communion – fol. 173- 307v: Liturgical psalter – fol. 307v-311v: In Praise of the psalms, attributed to St Augustine – fol. 311v-314v: Prayers to Mary – fol. 315: Preface to the psalter, for the Souls of the Dead. This manuscript is of high textual importance, for in addition to a full text of the Hours of the Virgin it contains an illustrated psalter. Illustrated psalters are a noteworthy rarity in the northern Netherlands, none having been known to Byvanck and Hoogewerff when they published their corpus of Dutch illuminated manuscripts (Byvanck/Hoogewerff 1922-25), and only a few having been discovered subsequently (Marrow 1987, vol. 1, p. 269). In addition, cf. the leaves from an unpublished choir psalter with historiated initials by the Master of the Haarlem Bible (Munich, Staatl. Graphische Sammlung, Inv. nos. 40041-40045), and a psalter in Philadelphia (Free Library, Lewis Coll., ms. E 183). Combined psalters-hours had some currency in English, French and Flemish manuscript illumination (Bennet 2004, pp. 218-219), but the present codex so far is the only illustrated example known in the tradition of Dutch illumination.

ILLUMINATION: Full-page miniatures: fol. 17v: Annunciation – fol. 61v: Crucifixion – fol. 79v:Pentecost – fol. 119v: Last Judgement – fol. 172v: David beheading Goliath. Historiated initials: fol. 18:Apocalyptic Madonna and Child – fol. 62: Man of Sorrows – fol. 80: St Veronica – fol. 97: Christ holding the orb and blessing a nun – fol. 120: David playing the psaltery – fol. 173: David kneeling playing the psaltery. The core of the manuscript, including all six historiated initials and the miniature of the Last Judgement, was illustrated by the Master of the Haarlem Bible. Named for his contributions to a three-volume bible made for use and still kept in Haarlem, he was a leading illuminator in Haarlem between c. 1445 and 1475 (exh. cat. Utrecht/New York 1989/1990, nos. 75-78, pp. 233-238, see also, no. 76 and 78). The remaining miniatures are the works of three different artists. They differ in layout and border decoration, which suggests that they were purchased on the open market for insertion into the book.The Crucifixion and Pentecost are attributable to one of the best of the so-called Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, here distinguished through their brightly coloured forms rather than the dark, even muddy colours found in many works in the style (exh. cat. Utrecht/New York 1989/1990, no. 36, pp. 75-86 and 112-115). Both have arched tops and backgrounds of brilliant burnished gold, embellished with tooling. The miniatures of the Annunciation and David beheading Goliath have similar borders, but differ in their size and frames. The dramatic scene of David beheading Goliath, painted with rich use of silver, is by a distinctive but otherwise unknown artist. The Annunciation is due to one of the Masters of Gijsbrecht van Brederode, as is the border decoration of this and the afore-mentioned miniature. The facial types of the figures can be compared with the Annunciation in a book of hours in Boston (Boston College, John J. Burns Library, ms. 86- 93, fol. 13v; exh. cat. Boston 2000, no. 33, pp. 80-81).

LITERATURE: Sales cat. Sotheby’s, 7-10 June 1876, lot 470; sales cat. Lyon-Brotteaux, 28 Feb. 1989, p. 93, lot 492. Byvanck/Hoogewerff 1922-25; Marrow 1989; exh. cat. Utrecht/New York 1989/1990; exh. cat. Boston 2000, no. 31; Bennett 2004.