Catalog Archive
Auction 96, Lot 518

"[Manuscript Leaf]", Anon.

Subject: Medieval Manuscript

Period: 1300 (circa)

Publication:

Color:

Size:
7.5 x 11.1 inches
19.1 x 28.2 cm
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A very fine vellum leaf from an early Bible. It is written in a very neat book hand in black ink with many penwork decorations at the beginning of each chapter. The chapter divisions in the Bible were invented in 1205 by Stephen Langton, a professor in Paris (later the Archbishop of Canterbury). The further division into verses did not appear until the 15th century. The text is from one of the Minor Prophets, Zechariah, from 7:5b to 12:12. This page includes several marginal corrections made by the scribes and is artistically decorated with red pen-work. At the top of the page, written in red and blue ink, is part of the name of the book: "ZA" and "CHA" and we may assume that on the following leaf "RIA" was written. In the black text each new sentence is begun with a capital letter, marked in red. The chapters are marked in Roman numerals and there are 5 large initials in red or blue pen-work.

References:

Condition: A

Some very minor soiling in margins and the bottom corner is cut away - or perhaps is a slightly defective piece of vellum.

Estimate: $400 - $450

Sold for: $260

Closed on 9/12/2001

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