ID 1105725
Lot 5 | First Master of the Choirbooks of Siena Cathedral
Estimate value
£ 5 000 – 8 000
Descent of the Holy Spirit, cutting from an Antiphonal, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Siena, c.1290s]
An impressive miniature illuminated by one of the dominant figures of Sienese illumination in the last quarter of the 13th century: the First Master of the Choirbooks of Siena Cathedral.
200 x 165mm. The historiated initial 'D' opening the Antiphon for Pentecost 'Dum complerentur', 2 visible lines of text and 3 of music on a four-line red stave, contemporary pagination in red 'XIX' (edges a little soiled, text on reverse somewhat faded, a few tiny losses of pigment to the faces, else in good condition). Mounted.
Provenance:
Koller, Zurich, 27 March 2009, lot 3527.
Illumination:
In the 2009 Koller entry Gaudenz Freuler draws artistic and iconographic parallels between this miniature, with a prophet in the margins pointing to the Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles and St Peter in the foreground, and a historiated initial in an Antiphonal at Siena Cathedral (Siena, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, corale 26F, f.20), illuminated by the so-called First Master of the Choirbooks of Siena Cathedral (see A. Labriola, La miniatura senese 1270-1420, 2002, pp.30 ff. and 262-265). A dominant figure in Sienese illumination of the last quarter of the 13th century, his style is rooted in the conventions of Guido di Graziano, Dietisalvi di Speme and Guido da Siena. His career extended well into the 1320s, but his style remained remarkably consistent, which makes dating his body of work somewhat problematic (on this see G. Freuler, The McCarthy Collection: Italian and Byzantine Miniatures, I, 2018, no 55, pp.175-177).
Characteristic of this illuminator is the light blue tint of the gray hair of the old people, a feature that is also evident in the Siena Antiphonal mentioned above. Other related leaves and miniatures are a historiated initial 'I' with John the Baptist in the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin (No. 4688), and three historiated initials at the Free Library in Philadephia (Lewis E M 69.6, 69.7 and 69.8).
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview |
| ||||
Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | ||||
Buyer Premium | see on Website | ||||
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |
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.