A Study Group
A study group of leaves and fragments, in Latin and French, manuscripts on vellum [12th to 15th centuries]
A selection of Western manuscripts on liturgical, literary, and scientific topics, including varied examples of gothic and cursive bookhands.

Comprising:
(i) A leaf from a Breviary, for a Christmas service [Germany, 12th century].
c.319 × 235mm. 2 columns of 28 lines, ruled in plummet, written in a fine protogothic bookhand, with a large initial 'P' in green, decorated with red foliage; text comprising materials for a Christmas service, including an extract from Origen, Homilia 17 and from Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah (modern pencil foliation "8", crease in upper right corner, a repaired hole in vellum on the fore-edge, later scribbles in margins).
Provenance: Colker MS 514; acquired in 2004 from Quaritch.

(ii) A fragment from a glossed Gospel of John [England, late 12th or early 13th century].
c.275 × 87mm. A vertical strip preserving part of 25 lines, ruled in plummet with pricking visible on fore-edge, written in a gothic semi-quadrata bookhand, with marginal glosses in a smaller gothic hand; text comprising part of John 11:8-42 (small holes in vellum, part of an early printed leaf stuck onto the verso, obscuring part of gloss).
Provenance: (1) Part of leaf from an early printed book stuck to the fragment; (2) Perhaps Solomon Pottesman (1904-1978); (3) Ralph Hanna III (Prof Emeritus of Palaeography at Keble College, Oxford); (4) Colker MS 478; acquired in 1997 from Quaritch.

(iii) A fragment from Richard of Saint Victor (d. 1173), Excerptiones Posteriores [France, c.1300].
c.208 × 80mm. A vertical strip preserving a column of 41 lines, ruled in plummet, written in a gothic hand with pen-work initials and foliate ornament in red, blue, and green; with text comprising part of Richard of St Victor's biblical handbook, Excerptiones Posteriores I.V.13-22; see Jean Chatillon, ed., Richard de Saint-Victor. Liber Exceptionum. Texte critique avec introduction, notes et tables (Paris, 1958) (margins cropped, vellum slightly dirtied).
Provenance: Colker MS 483; acquired in 1998 from Maggs.

(iv) A leaf from a text on Physics, in Latin, manuscript on vellum [England, 14th century].
c.308 × 210mm. 2 columns of 49 lines, ruled in plummet, with marginal glosses (remains of adhesive on recto). Provenance: Colker MS 292; acquired in 1980 from Maggs.

(v) Two leaves from a Calendar, in French [France, 15th century].
Both c.113 × 115mm. 15-17 lines, ruled in plummet, written in a semi-quadrata gothic bookhand in blue, pink, gold, red, and black ink, each leaf with 6 illuminated initials and foliate ornamental borders, the second fragment with blue dancing figures; the first leaf with feasts for the month of January, and the second containing leaf of a prayer known as the 'Seven Requests to Our Lord', both leaves in French (foliated in modern pencil, tear in lower left corner of f.2).
Provenance: Colker MS 07; acquired in 1974 from Maggs.

(vi) A leaf from Livy, Ab Urbe Condita [Italy], A.D. 1456.
c.253 × 183mm. 34 lines, ruled in plummet, written in a humanistic cursive script; text comprising part of Book 9.17-18, pencil foliation ‘172’.
Provenance: (1) Parent manuscript with a colophon dated 1456 (Gwara, Otto Ege’s MSS, fig. 3, HL 52); (2) Luigi Celotti, sale at Sotheby’s, 14 March 1825, lot 192; (3) Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872), MS 3354; (4) Rev. Henry Drury (1778-1841); (5) Henry White (1821-1902), sale at Sotheby’s, 21 April 1902, lot 1362; (6) Colker MS 366; acquired in 1986 from Maggs.

This lot is offered without reserve.
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