Manuscript on paper and parchment, heavily illuminated (trimmed), of Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Written in Cologne/Lower Rhine (Ripuarian language area) for Augustinian use
Description:
In German and Latin., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Armoiries 1656., Script: Text written in varying bookhands, most with batarde influence; more formal scripts for some rubrics and portions of text on parchment., Two historiated initials, 12- and 10-line, on parchment bifolios, the letters gold and blue with brown and red penwork, the figures crudely drawn in pen and colored brown, blue and green, against bright red grounds with white highlights; brown and red calligraphic flourishes with red, green, blue and yellow dots extending along upper and side edges of written space. 12-, 10-, and 9-line initials (ff. 13r, 96r, 115r, 179r, 222r, 258r, 322v) gold (or red for ff. 258r, 322v) and blue, filled with brown floral penwork designs with calligraphic flourishes and dots, as above. Floral borders for each 12- through 9-line initial (except ff. 15r and 258r), red, blue, and green flowers with gold dot centers, connected by brown ink stems, arranged in rows or spirals; ff. 13r and 84v with a vase and bird in the margins. Two 9-line initials, ff. 274r and 298r, on parchment bifolios, in a markedly different style, green and blue respectively, with yellow and white highlights, against gold grounds, filled on f. 274r with a large flower, blue and red, on f. 298r with short sections of curling pink and green acanthus. Borders large blue or red flowers with gold dots and centers or short sections of blue and red acanthus on spiraling brown stems with small green teardrop leaves. Numerous 7- through 2-line initials, red and/or blue, with brown penwork and flourishes, as above. I-initials, up to 13-line, red or blue throughout. Some capital W's in text in blue or red. 2-line KL monograms, alternating red and blue. Some portions of the text, including proper names, underlined in red. Notes for rubricator in gutter, perpendicular to text., and Binding: Sixteenth century. Original sewing on four supports attached to wooden boards. Covered in dark brown calf with corner turn-in tongues. Blind-tooled with concentric borders, an X, roses and small flowers in the central panel, roses and rampant lions in the outer borders. Two clasp-and-catch fastenings, the catch on the upper board. Rebacked and the endbands probably added. Straps replaced. Covers lined with fragments of unidentified scientific text, in Latin (15th century).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint, Augustinians., and Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Devotion to., Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval