Ferial Choir Psalter with Antiphons, Dominican Use (Companion volume to MS. Lat. liturg. a. 2); Italy, Brescia or Padua (?), 15th century, third quarter

Title

Ferial Choir Psalter with Antiphons, Dominican Use (Companion volume to MS. Lat. liturg. a. 2); Italy, Brescia or Padua (?), 15th century, third quarter

Shelfmark

MS. Lat. liturg. a. 3

Place of origin

Italian, Brescia or Padua(?)

Date

15th century, third quarter

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment; paper fly-leaves. Some leaves are mutilated (usually margins are cut off, without the loss of text) and repaired with pieces of paper and parchment, presumably when the manuscript was rebound in the 17th century. Fol. 113v is repaired with a strip of parchment from a 14th-century Italian manuscript of Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, Book III, around sections XXVIII–XXIX (69–71) (cf. MS. Lat. liturg. a. 2). There is an erroneous reading ‘sophodem’ for ‘apud Sophoclem qui’ (71/XXIX)

Physical extent

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

Hands

Large formal Gothic book hand; black ink (occasionally flaking); antiphons, versicles, invitatoria, etc. and some rubrics are in a smaller script

Decoration

5- to 8-line historiated initials on gold background at liturgical divisions and 2-line initials at the beginning of antiphons; borders decorated with putti, coiled tendrils, foliage, flowers and gold discs. fol. 1r, Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)), King David, kneeling on a terrace before a table with an open book, pointing to his eyes; crown and psaltery next to him on the floor; landscape with sea and boats in the background; medallion in the sky with half-figure of Christ on gold background, holding an orb and blessing, surrounded by angels playing musical instruments. (border, left and lower margins) St Catherine with a book, sword and wheel; putto climbing a vine; half-figure of a prophet with a finger raised in a gesture of teaching. fol. 23v, Psalm 50 (initial M(iserere)), Bearded saint, kneeling in prayer, looking up at rays of light, in a landscape. fol. 27v, Psalm 38 (initial D(ixit)), King David, seated on a throne, holding an open book, pointing to his mouth; landscape with a city in the background. fol. 45v, Antiphon for Tuesday Lauds (initial D(ele)), Kneeling angel, holding a scroll with lettering ‘Alleluia dele domine iniquitatem’, in a landscape. fol. 49v, Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)), The Fool portrayed as a beggar in torn clothing, standing on a road, leaning on his staff; landscape with hills, a town with towers and church in the background; three gold crowns in the border. fol. 67r, Antiphon for Wednesday Lauds (initial A(mplius)), Seated angel, playing harp, looking up at rays of light, in a landscape. fol. 71v, Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)), Nude King David praying in the sea with boats and cliffs with castles on top; halffigure of God above, in rays of light, holding an orb and blessing, surrounded by angels. fol. 97v, Antiphon for Thursday Lauds (initial T(ibi)), Bearded saint, kneeling in prayer, looking up at rays of light, in a landscape. fol. 103r, Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)), Three angels, two playing musical instruments, one pulling bell-ropes, in a landscape with rocks and trees. fol. 120v, Antiphon for Friday Lauds (initial S(piritu)), Bearded saint, kneeling in prayer, looking up at rays of light, in a landscape. fol. 126r, Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)), Dominican friars, singing from a book open on a lectern, inscribed with the opening words of the , Psalm; landscape with rocks and trees in the background. fol. 150r, Antiphon for Saturday Lauds (initial B(enigne)), St Dominic (?), kneeling in prayer, looking up at rays of light, in a landscape.

Borders: see above.

2- to 3-line pink, green and blue initials on gold background, decorated with foliage, flowers, scrolls, arabesque and geometric designs at the beginnings of psalms and canticles; similar initials with yellow instead of gold background at the beginnings of antiphons, versicles and invitatoria.

1-line alternating red and blue initials with contrasting purple or red penwork at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Rubrics in red ink.

Musical notation

Square notation on staves of four red lines.

Binding

Brown leather over pasteboard, 19th century (perhaps made for the Bodleian). Borders on both covers made of crossing single and triple blind fillet lines. Rebacked in the Bodleian (with the binders’ initial and date ‘H. 15. 2. 51’ on the lower pastedown). Blind fillet lines on spine, imitating the bands of five cords. Gilt lettering on spine ‘PSALTERUM’ and ‘MS. || LAT. LITURG. || a. 3’. Paper pastedowns and fly-leaves. Floral blind roll decorations on turn-ins and edges of covers. Similar to MS. Lat. liturg. a. 2 and MS. Lat. liturg. b. 1.

Acquisition

'Found at the end of MSS. Liturg. in 1885' (Summary catalogue, vol. 5).

Provenance

Made in Brescia or Padua (?) for a Dominican house, perhaps in Gubbio, Umbria (cf. MS. Lat. liturg. a. 2). Historiated border with St Catherine. Decorated by a team of artists, including two hands found in manuscripts from Brescia or Padua, dating from the third quarter of the 15th century.

The psalter was still in use in Italy in the 17th century when a table of antiphons for days of the week was added on fol. ii verso. At the same time the manuscript was foliated, rebound and repaired with strips of parchment and paper.

Title

A Roman Choir Psalter

Shelfmark

MS. Lat. liturg. a. 3

Summary

A Roman Choir Psalter

Date

Written about A.D. 1500 in Italy, perhaps at Gubbio

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with fine miniatures and illuminated capitals, etc., in parts injured

Physical extent

158 Leaves

Acquisition

Found at the end of MSS. Liturg. in 1885.

Subject

Religion

16th century

Psalms (Music)

Literature