Leaf from the ‘St Albans Bible’, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [France, Paris, second quarter 14th century].

Mahiet
Leaf from the ‘St Albans Bible’, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [France, Paris, second quarter 14th century].
From one of the most well known 14th-century French Bibles, illuminated by Mahiet, one of the finest Parisian illuminators of his generation.

c.295 × 195mm. 2 columns of 46 lines, the text comprising I Esdras 7:1–8:55 (‘Tunc Sisennes […] sacerdotibus templi in’), the recto illuminated with two two-line initials, each with a bar border extending nearly the full height of the page, chapter number and running title in gold and blue (very good condition, with slight cockling of margins)

Provenance:
(1) Produced in Paris, with illumination by Mahiet, who collaborated with Jean Pucelle on at least one manuscript.
(2) Probably owned by St Albans Abbey; perhaps acquired for the abbey by Michael de Mentmore, Abbot from 1335 to 1345.
(3) Single leaves were on the London market by 1916; some were acquired by the V&A Museum in 1919, 1923, and 1924.
(4) The bulk of the parent volume (comprising 526 leaves, but lacking at least six leaves, and with illuminated initials cut from about 30 more leaves) was sold at Sotheby’s, 6 July 1964, lot 239, bought by Philip Duschnes, who broke it, with leaves appearing in his catalogues from the following year.
(5) Colker MS 207; acquired in 1972 from Maggs.

For a detailed description and list of leaves with historiated initials, see P. Kidd, McCarthy Collection, III, no 85.

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