Portable psalter; French Flanders, Cambrai (?), late 13th or early 14th century

Title

Portable psalter; French Flanders, Cambrai (?), late 13th or early 14th century

Shelfmark

Ms. Laud Lat. 84

Date

13th century, late, or 14th century, early

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

377 leaves Leaves were trimmed in rebinding, occasionally causing the loss of text and decoration.

Hands

Formal Gothic book hand, black and brown ink.

Decoration

Blue, pink and red KL monograms on gold backgrounds and borders made of gold, blue and pink bars, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage, animals and birds in the calendar. Man holding a forked staff in the border of the August page (fol. 8v).

Miniatures with the Labours of the Months, in rectangular frames, with parts of the composition sometimes appearing outside the frame: January: three-faced Janus, feasting February: man warming himself by the fire and cooking in a pot, a heron (?) atop a chimney outside the frame, another in the left margin March: man pruning a tree April: man carrying flowering branches May: man on horseback with a hawk, a dog outside the frame June: man mowing hay with a scythe July: man carrying wood on his back, two trees outside the frame August: man reaping grain September: man cutting grapes, another, outside the frame, carrying them in a basket and eating October: man sowing, a large sack outside the frame November: man knocking down acorns for pigs, a second tree outside the frame December: man slaughtering a pig.

Full-page miniatures illustrating the life of Christ, with the sequence Annunciation– Betrayal forming a prefatory cycle, and scenes of the Passion narrative facing historiated initials at liturgical divisions (see below). The miniatures are on gold backgrounds in frames, decorated with architectural arches and pinnacles, painted on the versos, with the rectos left blank. The last miniature has a pink and blue background and gold frame, decorated with foliage and corner-pieces made of three gold vine leaves. (fol. 14v) Annunciation: the Virgin Mary, holding a book, and angel, holding a scroll with lettering ‘Aue maria gratiatia [sic] plena dominus’. (fol. 15v) Nativity: the Virgin Mary lying on a bed covered with vair (?), Joseph seated by her side, Child in a cradle, heads of the ox and ass (defaced). (fol. 16v) Adoration of the Magi: the Virgin and Child, blessing, three crowned Magi with gifts, one kneeling, another pointing to the star. (fol. 17v) Slaughter of the Innocents: seated Herod, two soldiers, one piercing a baby with a sword (rubbed). (fol. 18v) Betrayal: Judas kissing Christ, soldiers, St Peter with a sword, kneeling Malchus with blood on his head.

Historiated initials, each 6 or 7 lines high, except the first, occupying two-thirds of a page, often partially rubbed or defaced, accompanied by borders composed of gold, blue and pink bars, decorated with coiled tendrils and foliage, some on gold backgrounds; and full-page miniatures at the liturgical divisions in the psalter. The initials are on gold backgrounds, in gold rectangular frames, decorated with foliage, architectural pinnacles and interlace. The miniatures are in gold rectangular frames, decorated with foliage, architectural arches, pinnacles and foliate corner-pieces. The miniatures are painted on one side of a leaf, leaving the other side blank. fol. 19r Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) King David playing harp in the upper part, and David and Goliath in the lower part. fol. 66v (miniature) Christ before Pilate. fol. 67r Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)) King David seated, pointing to his eyes, blessed by Christ with cruciform halo, standing. fol. 99v (miniature) The Mocking of Christ, his head covered by a cloth. fol. 100r Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)) King David seated, pointing to his mouth; half-figure of Christ, holding a book and blessing, in clouds above. fol. 129v (miniature) Flagellation. fol. 130r Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)) The Fool, holding a club and eating bread, spoken to by the Devil. fol. 158v (miniature) Christ carrying the Cross. fol. 159r Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)) King David praying in waters with fish in the lower part; half-figure of Christ with cruciform halo, holding a book and blessing in the upper part. fol. 196v (miniature) Crucifixion, with Mary and John, sun and moon. fol. 197r Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)) King David, seated, playing bells (defaced). fol. 230v Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)) Tonsured clerics singing from a book open on a lectern. fol. 231r (miniature) Descent from the Cross (defaced, retouched). fol. 268v (miniature) Two panels depicting (above) Christ’s body embalmed and (below) Resurrection. fol. 269r Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)) Coronation of the Virgin.

Fine borders accompanying historiated initials. fol. 19r, Psalm 1. (full border) Hunter blowing horn and dog chasing a deer; armoured knight piercing a grotesque with a lance; rabbit. fol. 67r, Psalm 26 (full border) Ape; grotesque, playing a musical instrument. fol. 100r Psalm 38 (full border) Bird; grotesques. fol. 130r Psalm 52 (full border) Birds; grotesques. fol. 159r Psalm 68 (full border) Grotesque, butterfly. fol. 197r Psalm 80 (full border) St Margaret emerging from the back of a dragon, a blessing hand of God in clouds above; musician playing vielle; bird; grotesque. fol. 230v Psalm 97 (full border) Half-figure of a tonsured cleric playing organ. fol. 269r Psalm 109 (full border) St Martin and a beggar; knight on horseback holding a lance with pennant, seen from behind; birds.

2-line pink initials on gold backgrounds, decorated with coiled tendrils and foliage, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and litany.

Full borders on pages containing 2- line initials, made of gold, pink and blue bars, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage, grotesques, human and animal figures and heads (often musicians), birds, fish and butterflies. The borders include lamb with a cross-staff with pennant (fol. 38r), a man on horseback with a sword (fol. 102r), a female saint with a book and palm (fol. 142r), a kneeling woman with an open book (fols. 164r, 323r), a woman spinning (fol. 176v), a nun (?) in a brown habit and black and white veil, playing a musical instrument (fols. 203r, 334r, 361v), a woman committing suicide with a dagger (?) (fol. 204v), St Paul, holding a book and a sword (fol. 234v), St Peter, holding a book and a key (fol. 239r), a woman kneeling in prayer (fols. 327r, 335r). Some initials and borders include coats of arms and heraldic decoration (see ‘Provenance’).

1-line alternating gold and blue initials, decorated with contrasting blue and red penwork at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Line-endings with foliage, animal figures and heads, birds and grotesques on gold backgrounds.

Binding

Sewn on seven tawed (?) medieval (?) thongs, with medieval (?) wood boards covered with worn red velvet, late 18th to early 19th century. The thongs are broken at the joints and the boards are almost detached. Fragments of the Bodleian paper labels on spine. Gilt edges of textblock. Impressions left by the fittings of two clasps on the upper and lower covers.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: second donation from Laud, 16 June 1636. Former shelfmark: ‘D. 3.’ (upper pastedown).

Provenance

Made for the use of the diocese of Cambrai, probably for a lay patron: evidence of the calendar, litany and decoration.

Arms, 1 and 4 or a lion sable, 2 and 3 barry argent and azure a lion gules (fols. 122v and 128r) and or a lion sable (fols. 18v, 19r, 99v, 129v (depicted on shields), 343v). Similar to Chantilly, Musée Condé MS. 1423, made for Isabelle von Luxemburg (1247–1298) (Bräm, 1997).

Defaced inscription, 16th-century (?): ‘Ex libris R[ . . . ?]’ (fol. 377r).

William Laud (1573–1645), see ODNB: ‘Liber Guil: Laud Archiep(iscop)i Cant et Cancellar Vnivers: Oxon. 1636’ (fol. 2r).

Title

Psalter (portable)

Shelfmark

Ms. Laud Lat. 84

Date

13th century, late, or 14th century, early

Language

Latin

Physical facet

Kalendar mainly continental, but with Thomas and Oswald. Late medieval red velvet binding

Physical extent

377 Leaves

Custodial history

MS. Frere 457. Manuscript 2217 acquired by the Bodleian Library