Anonymous Bruges illuminator - photo 1
Anonymous Bruges illuminator - photo 2

Anonymous Bruges illuminator

Lot 117
12.12.2022 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 5 292
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 869524
Lot 117 | Anonymous Bruges illuminator
Estimate value
£ 1 000 – 1 500
Anonymous Bruges illuminator
The Martyrdom of St Thomas Becket, a miniature on a bifolium from a Book of Hours in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Southern Netherlands, Bruges(?), second quarter 15th century].
A depiction of one of the most dramatic and shocking events of the Middle Ages: the murder, while saying mass in his own cathedral, of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

c. 225 × 310mm. The central bifolium of a gathering, 26 lines, the text comprising the last five of the Fifteen Os and the start of a memorial to St Thomas (‘virtus iusticia et omne quod bonum […] Memoria de sancto Thoma Cantuariensi. Gaude lux Londoniarum Thoma […]’, with a three-quarter page miniature and five-line foliate initial surrounded by a three-sided border (stains and creases in the margins, barely affecting the text or decoration, the miniature somewhat rubbed).

Provenance:
(1) Doubtless from a manuscript of the Use of Sarum produced in Bruges for the English market.
(2) Perhaps back on the Continent in the mid-16th century, as the text and image of St Thomas escaped defacement in accordance with Henry VIII’s decree.
(3) Colker MS 191; acquired in 1971 from Maggs.
Genre:Religious genre
Place of origin:Belgium
Auction house category:Medieval & renaissance manuscripts
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2022 – 12.12.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.