Manuscript on parchment containing Ceremonials for a nuns' convent and related texts. Contents: 1) Ceremonial for the vestment of a nun. 2) Ceremonial for the communion of a sick nun. 3) Ceremonial for administering the extreme unction. 4) Ceremonial at the death of a nun. 5) Commendations for the dead nun. 6) Ceremonial for the burial of a nun. 7) Seven Penitential Psalms. 8) Antiphons, Responses and Hymns for the aspersions with holy water and the processions, with musical notation and rubrics in Latin, for the feast of Purification of the Virgin (2 February, f. 52v), Palm Sunday (ff. 54r and 59r), Maundy Thursday (f. 61r), Easter, Ascension, Pentecost (ff. 66r and 68r), the Rogation Days (f. 69r), the Vigil of Pentecost, Corpus Christi (f. 73r), the Assumption of the Virgin (15 August, f. 74v), the Dedication of the Church (f. 76r), Trinity Sunday (f. 78r) and again Purification (f. 79v). These are followed by the various melodies, with Dutch rubrics, for three liturgical formulas. 9) Text of Versicles for various periods and feasts of the ecclesiastical year. 10) Versicles for the Common of the Saints. 11) Dutch prayers for a dying nun. 12) Ceremonial for the consecration of candles at Purification, the consecration of ashes on Ash Wednesday, the consecration of palms on Palm Sunday, the washing of the altar on Maundy Thursday, partly with musical notation. 13) Fragment of the Antiphons for Pentecost, with musical notation
Description:
In Latin and Dutch., Script: the main scribe (A) wrote Gothica Textualis Formata on ff. 1r-46v, l. 4 (with the exception of f. 39, where another hand wrote a smaller Gothica Textualis Formata). Hand B wrote Gothica Hybrida Formata (Bastarda) on ff. 46v, l. 6 - 87v, l. 4 (artt. 7-11). Hand C copied ff. 88r-94v (art. 12) in Gothica Textualis Formata. F. 95 is 16th century addition copied in a clumsy Gothica Semitextualis. The musical notation is a variant of the Hoefnagel type. There are several later additions of music and text., Decoration: Rubrics, underlining and paragraph marks in red; red stroking of majuscules. 1-line versals and 2-line plain initials in red. 2-line flourished initials alternately red and blue; cadels with red heightening on the pages with musical notation; 3- or 4-line litterae duplices with penwork extensions in red, blue and green on ff. 1r, 18r, 40r, 46v, and 86r., and Binding: circa 1500. Blind-tooled brown calf over wooden boards, both covers decorated with twice a panel containing two rows of four animals in tendrils in a frame of 16 dragons in tendrils (the so-called 24 Animals panel), separated by a frieze with the Peasants' Dance. Spine with three raised bands. Remnants of two clasps. The pastedowns are two parts of a document in Dutch on parchment (a large section between the two is missing) datable 25 August 1443.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Flanders (Belgium)
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Convents, Manuscripts, Medieval, Monastic and religious life of women, Nuns, Processionals (Liturgical books), and Religious life and customs
In Low German., Script: Written in a neat batarde by two scribes: Scribe 1, ff. 1r-17v; Scribe 2, ff. 19r-186r., Fourteen good full-page miniatures of typical Southern Netherlandish production of the late 15th century. The miniatures (except those on ff. 1v, 18v, 159r) are painted over ruling for a normal text page and are set in wide arched frames of gold and black, within a full border of blue, gold, pink, and pale orange acanthus leaves, with red, purple, and blue flowers. Illuminated initials, 7-, 5-, or 4-line, with full borders on ff. 1r, 96r, 127r, 146r, 158r, 166r, and 177r: blue with white highlights filled with red, blue, and green trilobe leaves on a gold ground, borders as for miniatures. The text is set off from the border by a narrow black, gold, white, and red frame not joined to the initial. Nine illuminated initials, 5- or 4-line, with three-quarter borders: gold on pink and blue, with white highlights, borders as for miniatures. 6-, 5-, 3-, and 2-line initials in gold on pink and blue, with white highlights; black ink hair-spray, with gold trilobe leaves and flowers, attached. 1-line initials in blue with red penwork or gold with black penwork; within the text, a black initial occasionally marked with a red stroke. Line-fillers in Litany only; leaves, cables, oblique lines with dots attached, etc., in blue or gold. Rubrics in orange-tinted red or crimson., and Binding: Seventeenth century. Resewn on three twisted vegetable fiber cores laced into wooden boards. The colored, beaded endbands are embroidered on a piece of material, probably parchment, which extends to the outside of the boards. The spine is round and lined with parchment; the edges gilt and with a faintly discernable honeycomb pattern. Covered in light brown calf, extensively gold-tooled. There are two fastenings, the catches on the upper board, brass clasps attached to leather straps which are nailed to the lower board through metal plates. The lower joint has cracked and all the spine leather is detached from the bookblock, giving the effect of a case binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
In Latin., Written in round gothic script, by one scribe., Twelve full-page miniatures on the verso of tipped-in leaves (blank on recto), rather routine and careless. Each miniature facing a 6-line initial, black, with white highlights, on a gold ground, filled with blue and black trilobe leaves. Ten historiated initials, in the same style as the illuminated ones, illustrating the suffrages. Each initial with a border, as above. 2-line initials, gold on red and blue grounds with white highlights; some (on rectos) with black ink hair-spray with blue and gold flowers. 1-line initials, blue, with red penwork or gold, with black penwork. Rubrication for headings and to mark antiphons, verses etc.; also for dates and major feasts in calendar., and Binding: Sixteenth century. The backs of the quires are cut in on either side of the sewing supports and at the kettle stitches. Original sewing on five supports attached to wooden boards. Edges gilt and gauffered. Covered in dark brown calf with a panel stamp of two sets of horizontal inhabited vines within text borders, divided by a line of fleurs-de-lis and flowers in diamonds. The four panels are enclosed by the inscription: "Ora pro nobis sancta dei genitrix ut digni efficiamur promissione Christi". Spine lining, endbands and silver (?) clasps and catches added when the book was rebacked. One joint cracked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of a Book of Hours with Calendar (rather empty) and headings in French
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in formal batarde script; ff. 238r-241v in a different hand than the preceding folios, but probably almost contemporary., Thirteen undistinguished historiated initials (6-, 4-, and 3-line), ca. 1460-70, blue or pink with white highlights on brown grounds with gold highlights. Six other initials (ff. 13r, 17r, 27r, 107r, 155r, and 195r) enclose carefully studied flowers. Scatter and compartmentalized borders of average quality added later, ca. 1480-1500, for the most part to pages with historiated or flower initials, similar to borders in manuscripts of the "Ghent Associates"; the majority with acanthus branches, flowers, and birds, or flowers alone scattered on backgrounds of pink, bright blue, slate blue, gold and/or black, or flowers set within a lattice of twigs, the diamonds so formed alternately pink and blue (f. 123r) or green, pink and blue (f. 238r). Three borders (ff. 27v, 69v, and 136v) with thistles, brown and blue or brown and green, touched with gold, arranged in a wallpaper-like pattern over grounds of slate-blue or red cross-hatched with lines in a darker shade of the same color. In the border on f. 107r, a grotesque with the torso of a man and the hind legs of a large cat; on f. 185r the same, holding a bow., 2-line initials in gold on pink and blue with white highlights, except on ff. 238r-241v, gold on blue and brown with white highlights. 1-line initials in blue with red penwork, or gold with black penwork, or black with a red stroke; a few spaces for such initials have not been filled. In the text, headings and marks for antiphons in red; in the calendar, headings for months, dates, and important feasts also in red. Line-fillers: two oblique lines, blue or gold, with dots attached., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Brown calf. Paste-decorated edges. Rebacked. Spine stamped with gold leaves and the words "GETEY BOEK".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (extremely fine; trimmed).
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in round gothic script by one scribe., Miniatures, borders, and initials of very high quality, executed by an artist of the Ghent-Bruges school. In the calendar, 24 miniatures, painted so that the written space appears to be superimposed on a full-page picture; the sign of the zodiac for each month is set in a small gold or grey oval above the second page for each month. Each calendar page enclosed in a gold and brown frame., Six miniatures with full borders, in frames. The manuscript almost certainly contained 16 more full-page miniatures that are now missing (see MS 287A). Twelve illuminated initials, 5-line, letters formed of curling acanthus on pink and/or blue, brown and green, or blue and green grounds; borders of flowers or architectural elements. Border decoration on every page without a full border: one bird, flower, grotesque, piece of jewelry, insect, or, occasionally, a household utensil, in each of the three outer margins, traced and painted on the following verso. 2- and 1-line initials in the same style as 5-line initials, with blue or pink grounds. Ribbon line fillers in the same style. Rubrication in pale crimson: in calendar, for months, dates, and important feasts., Water has caused ink to run in the upper left of f. 151r; no loss of text., and Binding: Nineteenth century (?). Gilt, gauffered edges. Previously bound in brick colored velvet, over wooden boards; remains of velvet on turn-ins. An elaborate clasp with round blue sapphire and the initials "V. M." joined by a love knot on the inner side. Rebacked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of a Book of Hours, with Calendar and prayers in Flemish
Description:
In Latin and Flemish., Script: Written in liturgical gothic bookhand by one scribe., Three full-page miniatures of mediocre quality. Each miniature set in a narrow frame of gold, black, pink, and white; full border of blue and gold acanthus leaves, red, pink, and blue flowers and strawberries, and black pen flecks. One 7-line historiated initial on f. 216r (Flemish Prayers): Pieta, pink with white highlights on gold; full border as above; text separated from border by a narrow band attached to initial of gold and pink, edged in black. Illuminated 5-line initials with full borders (eg. ff. 13r, 18r, 28r), pink or blue with white highlights on gold, filled with blue or pink trilobe leaves. 2-line initials, gold on pink and blue with white highlights, one on f. 92r (Advent Office) with a band attached, as above, and small sections of border, as above; one 3-line initial on f. 179r (Obsecro te) in similar manner. 1-line initials, blue with red penwork and gold with black penwork; initials within text washed in yellow. KL monograms as 2-line initials; Latin names of months and important feasts in red. Line fillers: oblique lines with dots attached, stylized plant motifs, dots, etc., in blue or gold. Rubrics in faded red., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown, originally black, sheepskin; stamped in gold on the spine: "Psaterium." Red edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment. One of a number of Books of Hours almost certainly made in Flanders for the English market. During the 16th century, some references to Thomas of Canterbury were erased or altered, and the word "pape" in the Calendar was changed to "ape".
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in liturgical gothic bookhand., Decoration: Twenty-three fine miniatures (originally twenty-five) tipped in, in red, blue and gold frames, with gold quatrefoils in the corners; each with a 3/4 bar border, red and blue, with a full border of English-style acanthus, red, blue, pink and gold against cusped gold grounds, especially at corners and centers, surrounded by green, red, blue and pink flowers and berries, and ivy in black pen with gold and blue leaves, some with birds, in red bounding lines. Twenty-three historiated initials, 6-line, pink and blue with white highlights on gold grounds with black cusping. 6-line initials, pink and blue, with white highlights, filled with acanthus on gold, against pink and blue grounds, framed in gold and edged with black cusping. 3-line initials, gold, edged in black, on pink and blue grounds with white filigree. 1-line initials and line endings in the same manner. Calendar with 3-line KL monograms, as above, with hair-spray extensions and bar border, outer margin, and with hair-spray terminals. Kalends, Ides in blue and gold; important feasts in red., Shows signs of use (water stains, rubbing), but no serious damage to text or illumination., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Wound sewing on five large, tawed-skin supports, the backs of the gatherings cut in about 3 mm. on either side of the supports and at the kettle stitches. Dull gilt edges and traces of blue endband tie-downs. Covered in gold, striped velvet with two ribbon ties.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
