Early Italian leaves

Lot 144
12.12.2022 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 6 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 869551
Lot 144 | Early Italian leaves
Estimate value
£ 7 000 – 10 000
Early Italian leaves
ITALY: a teaching collection of leaves and fragments, in Latin, manuscripts on vellum [Italy, 10th to 12th centuries]
A selection of liturgical, patristic and homiletic leaves and fragments, some decorated, from the 10th to the 12th centuries.

Comprising:
(i) A partial leaf from a Sacramentary [Italy, 10th century].
c.217 × 148mm. Preserving 22 lines, written in a large and very distinctive Caroline minuscule (wide vertical penstokes, uncial 'a' and 'd' present, bowls of 'b' and 'p' often open, 'g' with jagged descender, 'y' sometimes dotted'), with rubrics in orange ink; text comprising collects for feast days in May and June, including Bassianus, a Lombard saint (outer margin cropped with text lacking).
Provenance: Colker MS 326; acquired in 1984 from Quaritch.

(ii) A leaf from (Ps.) Haymo Halberstatensis, Homiliae [Italy, 11th century].
c.335 × 58mm. 2 columns of 26 lines, written in a large, rightwardly inclining Caroline minuscule in light brown ink; text comprising part of Sermon 118 (some text on verso faded, a small stain and three small holes in vellum).
Provenance: Colker MS 171; acquired in 1970 from Maggs.

(iii) A leaf from (Ps.) Melito, Vita Sancti Iohannis Euangelistae [Italy, llth century].
c.375 × 245mm. 2 columns of 36 lines, blind-ruled, in Caroline minuscule with a slightly squared aspect; text comprising part of a life of Saint John the Evangelist, ascribed to Melito, a second-century bishop; see Migne, Patrologia Graeca, 5, 1241-43; BHL 4320 (some text slightly faded, marginal losses from cropping).
Provenance: Colker MS 187; acquired in 1971 from Maggs.

(iv) A leaf from (Ps.) Haymo Halberstatensis, Homiliae [Italy, ?12th century].
c.305 × 210mm. 2 columns of 33 lines, blind-ruled, original text written in Caroline minuscule; text comprising part of Sermon 15 (text very faded, with later overwriting, vellum cockled with tears).
Provenance: Colker MS 203; acquired in 1972 from Maggs.

(v) A fragment from Gregorius Magnus, Homiliae In Euangelia [Italy, 12th century].
c.120 × 110mm. Preserving 12 lines of very fine Caroline minuscule, with a decorative initial 'C', featuring a face from the mouth of which proceed leafy vines; incipit '[Habita ad] p[o]p[u]l[u]m in basilica S. Stephani' (text faded on one side, remains of adhesive).
Provenance: Colker MS 177; acquired in 1970 from Maggs.

(vi) Two fragments of a leaf from a Homiliary [Italy, 12th century].
Both c.230 × 340mm. Each fragment preserves 2 columns of 26 lines, written in a fine, late Caroline minuscule with a decorative pen-drawn initial 'R'; text comprising a homily on Mark 22:16 ascribed to John Chrysostom in the rubric (remains of green paint on verso obscuring much of the text, from use in a binding, upper margin cropped with text lacking).
Provenance: Colker MS 328; acquired in 1984 from Quaritch.

(vii) A partial leaf from Augustinus Hipponensis, Tractatus In Iohannem [Italy, 12th century].
c.255 × 310mm. Preserving 2 columns of 26 lines, blind-ruled, written in a protogothic script, with a decorative initial 'C', in yellow and red on blue grounds, with twining vines; incipit 'De eo quod dicit. T[un]c app[re]hendit pilatus i[esu]m sibi et flagellauit [...]' (remains of adhesive, vellum cockled, repair on upper edge).
Provenance: Colker MS 167; acquired in 1970 from Alan Thomas.

(viii) A partial leaf from the Vita sancti Sylvestri [Italy, 12th century].
c.175 × 245mm. Part of a leaf, with upper and gutter margins folded, preserving 2 columns of 22 lines, written in a late Caroline minuscule; see BHL 7725 (text on verso faded and margins folded from use as a wrapper).
Provenance: (1) Sir Thomas Phillipps; (2) acquired by Colker in 1985 from H.P. Kraus.

(ix) A fragment from the Bible [Italy, 12th century].
c.80 × 75mm. Preserving 10 lines, with a bright initial 'T' on blue grounds with foliage descending from the upper crossbar; one side comprises part of Micah 1:5-7.
Provenance: (1) Morton and Esther Rosenbaum; (2) Colker MS 360; acquired in 1986 from Maggs.

(x) A leaf from a Missal [Italy, 12th century].
c.258 × 199mm. 2 columns of 30 lines, blind-ruled, written in Caroline minuscule (text lacking on upper and lower edges from cropping, tear on side edge, modern notes in pencil, remains of adhesive).
Provenance: Colker MS 484; acquired in 1998 from Maggs.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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