A Carthusian liturgical manuscript

Los 13
10.12.2025 12:00UTC +00:00
Classic
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
VeranstaltungsortVereinigtes Königreich, London
Aufgeldsee on Website%
ID 1514456
Los 13 | A Carthusian liturgical manuscript
Schätzwert
£ 4 000 – 6 000
A Carthusian liturgical manuscript
Diurnale, for ?Carthusian use, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [Germany, ?Cologne, 15th century]
An uncommon type of liturgical manuscript, in its medieval binding.

c. 140 x 100mm, i + 72 + i leaves, complete, collation: 1–98, modern foliation in pencil 1-72, sporadic catchwords survive, 16 lines written in formal gothic textura script, ruled space: c. 95 x 60 mm, rubrics in red, three-line initials in red or blue with simple reserved designs, two-line initials in red, or alternately red and blue, one-line initials in red (some thumbing, overall in good condition). Medieval binding: sewn on three slit bands laced into wood boards with rounded edges, covered with polished brown leather, each cover blind-stamped with a lattice pattern of four lozenges and eight triangles enclosing circular fleur-de-lys and smaller rosette stamps, remains of a clasp at the fore-edge, pink place-marker tabs at the fore-edge (a little scuffed, spine a little worn, lacking fasterner). In a modern polished brown morocco and cloth slip-case with gilt bird designs, the spine lettered in gilt capitals ‘Diurnale Parvum XV Cent MS. Phillipps 542’.

Provenance:
(1) The use of punctus flexus punctuation suggests a Cistercian, or more likely Carthusian, origin. Leander van Ess owned dozens of manuscripts from the Carthusian house of St Barbara, Cologne (one is lot 16), and a few from other Carthusian houses including those at Erfurt and Mainz.

(2) Leander van Ess (1772–1847), of Marburg (on whom, and on whose library, see Milton McC. Gatch, ‘So Precious a Foundation’: The Library of Leander van Ess at the Burke Library of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, 1996): his no 157.

(3) Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872), antiquary and book collector: his MS 542, with ink-stamped crest and inscriptions. Published in Catalogus librorum manuscriptorum in bibliotheca D. Thomæ Phillipps, Bart., 1837, p.6, no 542. His sale, Sotheby's, Bibliotheca Phillippica. Catalogue of a further portion of the classical, historical, topographical, genealogical and other manuscripts and autograph letters of the late Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart. F. R. S. etc. of Middle Hill, Worcestershire, and Thirlestaine House, Cheltenham, 7 June 1910, lot 265 to:

(4) James Tregaskis, London bookseller: with a clipping from a ‘Caxton Head’ catalogue inside the front cover.

(5) Edward Duff Balkan (1874–1960), of Pittsburgh, artist and collector of folk art: with his library bookplate.

(6) Maggs Bros Ltd: Catalogue 542, The Art of Writing 2800 B.C. to 1930 A.D., 1930, no 206 (ill.): this number, encircled, pencilled on the back pastedown), priced £63.

(7) Howard Lehman Goodhart (1884-1951), stockbroker and bibliophile: his leather book label inside upper cover. By descent to his daughter:

(8) Phyllis Goodhart Gordan (1913-1994): her leather book label inside upper cover, MS 22. On deposit at Bryn Mawr, BMC 9. Published in De Ricci, Census, II p.1860, no 22.

Content:
Added near-contemporary short prayers, f.i verso; readings for the hour of Prime on feasts of 12 lessons and days of the week from Sundays to Saturdays, ff.1–24; ruled, otherwise blank, f.24v; readings for Prime, Terce, Sext, and None ‘de domina nostra’ (i.e. Sundays), ff.25–33, and for the same hours on Mondays–Saturdays, ff.33v–66v; added chant ‘De beatissima virgine’ and for the Common of saints, f.67r–v; blank, ff.68–71; antiphons and psalms for first and second vespers for the Common of saints, ff.71v–72; added Hymns for Sundays: ‘Deus creator omnium rector vestiens diem decoro lumine […], f.72v.




Literature

Leander van Ess, Sammlung und Verzeichniss handschriftlicher Bücher aus dem VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. etc. Jahrhundert. [...] welche besitzt Leander van Ess [...] (privately printed, 1823), no 157.

Thomas Phillipps, Catalogus Librorum Manuscriptorum in Bibliotheca D. Thomæ Phillipps, Bart., A.D. 1837 [Reprinted with an Introduction by A.N.L. Munby], repr. [London] Orskey-Johnson, 2001 (Privately printed, 1837), no 542.

S. De Ricci, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada, II, 1961, p.1680, no 22.
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