Beneventan neumes - photo 1
Beneventan neumes - photo 2
Beneventan neumes - photo 3

Beneventan neumes

Lot 31
08.11.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 1 890
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1053145
Lot 31 | Beneventan neumes
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
Beneventan neumes
A bifolium from an Antiphonal, in Latin, manuscript on vellum [southern Italy, first half 12th century]
A complete bifolium from a southern Italian monastic Antiphonal with Beneventan neumes.

c.367 x 260mm (the leaf), a bifolium, two columns of 14 lines written in black ink in a late rounded Carolingian minuscule, 14 lines of stylised Beneventan neumes, rubrics and initials in red, one large ornamental initial in red (recovered from use as a wrapper and with consequent creases, a few wormholes, but else in excellent condition). Bound in grey buckram at the Quaritch bindery.

Provenance:
(1) The bifolium was used as wrappers for what may have been a 16th?-century Italian notarial document: an inscription on f.1v reads 'Lucas Iac. not[arius] [...]' and '239' is scrawled across the bottom of f.2.

(2) Otto Haas (1872-1960), purchased from him by:

(3) Bernard Rosenthal, his I/100.

(4) Bernard Quaritch, Medieval Manuscript Leaves, cat. 1147 (1991), no 39, acquired in 1990 by:

(5) Schøyen Collection, MS 638.

Text:
The text of the bifolium is consecutive and begins in the Office for the 4th Sunday of Advent, ending with some 'ad libitum' Office responsories to be used during the ferial days preceding the Vigil of Christmas: '[Non discedimus ad te vivificabis nos domine] et nomen tuum invocabimus ostende nobis faciem tuam' to 'Et elevabitur super omnes colles et fluent ad eum omnes [gentes].'

Script and music:
A handsome example of late Italian Carolingian minuscule. In a note for Bernard Rosenthal, John Emerson, of the Department of Music at the University of California, Berkeley, dated this leaf to the first half of the 12th century, locating it to 'southern Italy, without doubt'. He noted that 'the liturgy, musical melodies and notation are very familiar, but there are interesting paleographical additions'. The Beneventan neumes are arranged here on a single red-line staff with F-, A-, and C-clefs.
Place of origin:Italy
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
02.11.2023 09:00 – 17:00
03.11.2023 09:00 – 17:00
04.11.2023 12:00 – 17:00
05.11.2023 12:00 – 17:00
06.11.2023 09:00 – 17:00
07.11.2023 09:00 – 17:00
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.
?>