INHABITED PENWORK INITIAL 'A' ON A LEAF FROM A GRADUAL [Upper Rhine, perhaps Switzerland, 14th century]

The technique of decorating the initial with reserved designs is characteristic of the Upper Rhine area, including Switzerland. The provenance of this cutting is unknown, but the limited palette and absence of gold would be consistent with a Cistercian house. See Ellen J. Beer, Beiträge zur oberrheinischen Buchmalerei in der ersten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Initialornamentik (Basel & Stuttgart: Birkhäuser, [1959]).

Physical description:
240 x 125mm (9⅜ x 5 in.) overall, a cutting from the top left corner of a leaf, window mounted on paper in a double-sided frame, the verso with part of three lines of text and music in hufnagel notation on 5-line staves. The very first antiphon, for the beginning of lent, from a Gradual, ‘A[d te levavi animam] me[am deus meus in te con[fido ]’, the verso with part of the following versicle, ‘[Vias tuas domine] no[tas fac mihi] et semitas tuas [edoce me]’.

[With]:

AN ARMENIAN ILLUMINATED HEADPIECE, [Armenia, 16th? century]

Unlike luxury western European manuscripts, in which the main textual divisions are marked by historiated initials, horizontal headpieces such as the present example, emulating the form of a carved lintel above a grand doorway, are characteristic of luxury Byzantine and Armenian manuscripts. The decorative repertoire combines repeating patters with asymmetrical stylised and semi-naturalistic plants and birds.

Physical description:
182 x 125 mm (7 x 5 in.), the top part of a leaf only.

Please note this lot is the property of a private consignor.