Nonantola Abbey Pontifical - photo 1
Nonantola Abbey Pontifical - photo 2
Nonantola Abbey Pontifical - photo 3
Nonantola Abbey Pontifical - photo 4
Nonantola Abbey Pontifical - photo 5

Nonantola Abbey Pontifical

Starting price
£ 4 800
Auction dateClassic
08.11.2023 11:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1053191
Lot 77 | Nonantola Abbey Pontifical
Nonantola Abbey Pontifical
Pontifical, use of Nonantola, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum, Italy, Nonantola, 1719
A finely decorated Pontifical bearing the Chigi arms, made for the use of Nonantola Abbey shortly before its suppression. Nonantola was an important centre of book production; manuscripts from the abbey scriptorium from as early as the 9th century survive.

337 x 230mm. ii + 40 + ii leaves, complete, modern pencil foliation, 17 lines, text block: 270 x 165mm, musical antiphons on four-line staves ruled in red above four- to six-line calligraphic initials alternating red and black, decorative title page featuring the armorial devices of the Chigi family (six mountains; an oak tree), three fleur-de-lys and a cardinal’s hat (scattered instances of light staining throughout, overall in very good condition). Brown morocco gilt binding, embossed with the arms of the Chigi family (six mountains), a cardinal’s hat and three fleur-de-lys, sewn on six bands (losses at spine capitals and hinges, a little scuffed and scratched).

Provenance:
(1) Written for the use of Nonantola Abbey, Emilia Romagna, presumably at the behest of a member of the Chigi family; the arms of a family member, a cardinal of the Catholic Church, appear on the binding and within the manuscript. The Abbey of Nonantola boasted an important scriptorium and by the end of the 15th century had amassed a library of over 6,000 codices. Given to the Cistercians in 1514, which might explain the inclusion of the feast of St Bernard in the present manuscript, the Abbey was in decline before its suppression by Pope Clement XIII in 1768. It was re-established by Pius VII in 1821.

(2) ?Ranieri Mancini, bishop of Fiesole (1735-1814); presentation inscription (‘Raynerii Mancini’) inside the upper cover.

(3) Sam Fogg, cat.15 (1992), no 69.

(4) Schøyen Collection, MS 1674.

Content: A Pontifical contains the texts of ceremonies which were performed only by high-ranking members of the Church, from bishops to popes: the present example contains a selection of feasts from the Temporale and Sanctorale, opening with the Circumcision (f.2) and closing with the Nativity (f.32), including the Feast of St Bernard (f.25), followed by the service for the Dedication of a Church (f.37v). The decorative title page (f.1) bears the incipit: ‘Solemnitates et S[an]ct[o]ru[m] Festa ad commodiorem Po[n]tificaliu[m] usu[m] co[n]scripta Nona[n]tulae a P.A.D.M.C.F.’
Genre:Religious genre
Place of origin:Italy
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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