St Gall neumes (Early German neumes)
A partial bifolium from an Antiphonal, in Latin, manuscript on vellum [Germany, 11th century]
An elegant specimen of late Carolingian minuscule script and early diastematic neumes.

c.215 x 145mm, a partial bifolium (one substantially complete leaf and a half leaf), 14 visible lines written in brown ink in a fine late rounded Carolingian minuscule, rubrics and initials in red, early staffless diastematic (heightened) St Gall neumes (Early German neumes) (some marginal staining and creasing, a few lines a little faded). Bound in grey buckram at the Quaritch bindery.

Provenance:
(1) Antiquariat J. Voerster, Stuttgart.

(2) Bernard Quaritch, acquired in 1993 by:

(3) Schøyen Collection, MS 1666.

Text:
The text is the Feast of St Martin of Tours on 11 November (with antiphons, versicle and responses), beginning 'Dixerunt discipuli ad beatum Martinum' and ending 'Beati viri corpus usque [ad locum sepulcri]'. The leaves of the bifolium are not consecutive: the text on the half leaf is from All Saints, beginning '[iudi]cantia martyrum [purpureis coronis] and ending 'beati qui lugent [quoniam ipsi consolabuntur]'.