Portable Psalter and Hours, Bridgettine Use, in Latin and Italian; Italy, Florence (?), 15th century

Title

Portable Psalter and Hours, Bridgettine Use, in Latin and Italian; Italy, Florence (?), 15th century

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 49

Associated place

Italian

Place of origin

Italian, Florence (?)

Date

15th century

Language

Latin

Italian

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

328 leaves Leaves were trimmed in rebinding, occasionally causing the loss of decoration.

Hands

Gothic book hand, black ink.

Decoration

2-line blue initial on gold background, decorated with sprays of leaves and gold discs, at the beginning of psalm 26 (fol. 39r).

2-line alternating red and blue initials, decorated with contrasting purple or red penwork, at the beginnings of psalms and sections of psalm 118, canticles, litany, prayers and sections of the office.

1-line plain alternating red and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods (guide-letters often visible).

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

16th century, Italian: thin wood boards; polished dark red leather of fine quality, gilt-tooled with lines, stamps, and Latin mottoes in capitals from Song of Songs 2.5, ‘Fulcite me floribus …’ (front) and 2.2, ‘Sicut lilium inter spinas …’ (back), each ending with monogrammed letters ‘[.S.] MAF . ND.’; gilt oval centrepieces, the one at the back painted with a chequered pattern (armorial?); gilt edges; spine with gilt lines and a single tool in each panel; two clasps, one strap surviving, of matching leather tooled with gilt lines. Rebacked, original spine re-laid, 20th century, Bodleian. 169–170 115 c. 45 (book closed).

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti. Earlier shelfmarks: ‘Bibl. Bodl. Liturgy. Miscell. xljx’ (upper pastedown) and ‘(49)’ (fol. i recto).

Provenance

Made in Italy for a Bridgettine house, possibly Il Paradiso (San Salvatore) outside Florence: Florentine saints on the litany.

‘Questo libro e del Abbate Colauacci ’ (the last two words erased), 17th or 18th century, fol. 12v. Possibly the hand which added foliation in ink, psalm numbers and the titles of canticles. The leaves containing psalm initials were removed after the foliation in ink was added.

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

Title

Bridgettine services for an Italian house

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 49

Summary

Bridgettine services for an Italian house, consisting of:

A Psalter with Canticles, Creeds, etc. (fol. 13)

Preceded by 'Ordo cantus & lecture Sororum ordinis Sancti Salvatoris in horis diurnis & nocturnis impermutabiliter observandus ... ex precepto ... sancte Brigide ... ' (fol. 1)

Followed by a Litany (fol. 203v), and a series of Lections, Antiphons, etc. (fol. 208), for the hour-services. Leaves are lost after fols. 12, 207

An Italian Rubric occurs on fol. 12v, and St. Reparata of Corsica is in the Calendar

The mother convent of Vatzstenen (Wastein) is mentioned on fol. 12. The binding is red leather with gold ornament, and the legends 'FVLCITE ME FLORIBVS STIPATE ME MALIS, QVIA. AMORE LANGVEO.' and 'SICVT LILIVM INTER SPINAS. SIC AMICA MEA. INTER FILIAS.', each followed by 'S.MF.ND.' (16th cent.?): with clasps.

Date

Written late in the 15th century in Italy

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, imperfect binding, see below

Physical extent

327 Leaves

Custodial history

'Questo libro e del Abbate Colauacci' (the last two words erased: 16th cent.).