TWO LEAVES FROM AN ILLUMINATED ENGLISH PSALTER [Southern England, first half 15th century]

Two glitzy leaves from what would have been a luxury Psalter produced for a wealthy English patron. The large, burnished gold initials and the borders with leafy designs of blue and pink are typical of English manuscript illumination of the period. The knotted clusters of rounded leaves with shaded white circles present in the borders are design features that are also found in a manuscript made in Oxford in 1429 (now Cambridge, University Library, MS ff.3.27).

The leaves were originally ff. 23 and 48v in their parent manuscript, opening Psalm 52 (‘Dixit Insipiens’) and Psalm 80 (‘Exultate deo’) respectively.


Provenance:
- From a grand Psalter produced in southern England, possibly Oxford, in the first half of the 15th century.
- The parent manuscript, already lacking several leaves, was sold at Sotheby’s, 5 December 1989, lot 86 and again 22 June 1993, lot 88 (one of the current leaves illustrated in the catalogue).
- Christie’s, 29 June 1994, lot 37.

Measurements:
Two leaves, 272 x 182mm. 22 lines, written space: 187 x 117mm.

Bibliography:
K.L. Scott, Dated and Datable English Manuscript Borders c.1395-1499, 2002, pp.52-53.

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