Portable Secular Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, North-East, 15th century, third quarter

Title

Portable Secular Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, North-East, 15th century, third quarter

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 158

Associated place

Italian

Place of origin

Italian, North-east

Date

15th century, third quarter

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves

Physical extent

166 leaves

Hands

Formal Gothic book hand, black ink, smaller script used for antiphons, etc.

Decoration

fol. 1r Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) 9-line initial, decorated with foliage, on gold background, infilled with half-figure of King David playing psaltery.

(full border) Rectangular border, outlined in gold, decorated with filigree scrolls, flowers, foliage and gold discs; medallion with a dove in rays of light in the right margin. In the lower margin two winged putti support a laurel wreath with an overpainted coat of arms.

One 9-line (psalm 109, fol. 107r) and six 8-line initials, decorated with foliage, on gold background, with sprays of filigree scrolls, foliage, flowers and gold discs extending into margins, at liturgical divisions at psalms 26 (fol. 21v), 38 (fol. 34v), 52 (fol. 47r), 68 (fol. 60r), 80 (fol. 76r) and 97 (fol. 91r).

Borders: see above.

2-line alternating red and blue initials, decorated with contrasting purple or red penwork, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles, prayers, litany and hymns.

1-line alternating plain red and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.

rubrics in red ink

Guide-letters are often visible.

Binding

18th century, middle (by 1751), Italian: pasteboards; polished, hard, near-black leather, heavily grained (like shagreen?), plain except for blind triple lines around edges of covers; two fine fore-edge clasps, comprising straps of the same leather with scallop-shaped tips and loops of dark metal which fit onto pins at edges of lower cover; paste-downs of marbled paper; flyleaves of thick white laid paper, with an ex dono inscription dated 1762 (fol. iiir) and the date ‘1751’ at end (fol. 161v, cf. 160v). 160–161 116–117 c. 35–36 (book closed). Identical clasps are at MS. Canon. Liturg. 291, but with different binding style.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti. Earlier shelfmarks: ‘73’ (fol. i recto); ‘E codd. Bodl. Miscell. Liturg. 158.’ (fol. iii verso).

Provenance

Made in the north-east of Italy, perhaps in Ravenna or Brescia: evidence of the litany. Written for a woman: feminine grammatical forms in prayers on fol. 159r–v. Shield of arms, painted over, on fol. 1r.

‘Ex dono f: [or J?] M: A: D: Danielis Adelardianno 1764’, fol. iii recto, possibly by Canonici.

‘1751’ written in ink on fols. 160v and 161v.

Matteo Luigi Canonici of Venice (1727–c. 1806) , but not from the libraries of Soranzo or Trevisan (Mitchell, 1969).

Title

A Psalter written in Italy for a lady's use

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 158

Summary

A Psalter written in Italy for a lady's use, perhaps Dominican: with Canticles, Creeds, and (fol. 155) Litany.

Date

Written in the 15th century in Italy

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with a small miniature, illuminated borders, etc., with clasps

Physical extent

163 Leaves

Custodial history

'Ex dono ... DanielisAdelardi [?] anno 1764.'.