Chronicle of the Dukes of Normandy from the time of Pepin to the accession of Henry III — 15th century; French

Title

Chronicle of the Dukes of Normandy from the time of Pepin to the accession of Henry III — 15th century; French

Shelfmark

MS. Fr. c. 25

Place of origin

French

Date

15th century

Language

Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

ii (modern paper) + 206 + ii (modern paper) leaves.

Hands

Written in bâtarde script, often with very calligraphic ascenders on the top line (e.g. fol. 57r, 66r), occasionally incorporating human heads in profile (e.g. fol. 16r).

Decoration

Clearly intended to be a very extensively illustrated volume, with about one miniature per leaf, but none of the spaces left for them by the scribe have been filled in; none of the decorative initials have been supplied either.

Binding

A large fragment of a contemporary blind-stamped brown leather cover is stuck to fol. 208v.

Formerly bound in 'old calf over oak boards, binding badly wormed' (Sotheby's, 1947); rebound in new plain brown leather '... by E. E. W. 5.11.1948' (inscribed in pencil, fol. 208r); pairs of holes and copper-stains in the first and last parchment leaves caused by former fastenings.

Acquisition

Sotheby's 1 Dec. 1947, lot 102.

Provenance

Erased original(?) medieval ownership(?) calligraphic inscription on the upper pastedown 'Ex | ...'

Inscribed, 16th(?) cent.: 'historia gallica usque initium regnum(?) t'(?) H 3' (fol. i recto).

Sir John Savile the elder (1545–1607)

Sir Henry Savile (1549–1622), provost of Eton

Sir John Savile (1818–96), his sale, Sotheby's 6 Feb. 1861, lot 29, bought by Powis for £79

Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872), MS. 25028