Portable Psalter with Antiphons, Dominican Use; Italy, Brescia, 15th century, third quarter (after 1461)

Title

Portable Psalter with Antiphons, Dominican Use; Italy, Brescia, 15th century, third quarter (after 1461)

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 191

Associated place

Italian

Brescia

Place of origin

Italian, Brescia

Date

15th century, third quarter (after 1461)

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves

Physical extent

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

Hands

Formal Gothic book hands, black ink.

Decoration

Red or blue KL monograms, decorated with contrasting purple or red penwork, in the calendar.

Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) 8-line pink initial on gold background, decorated with foliage and white arabesque designs, with half-figure of King David, playing psaltery; the face of God above in rays of light; trees in the background.

(full border) Filigree scrolls, flowers, fruit, leaves and gold discs in a frame, outlined in gold and blue; laurel wreath with a shield of arms (party per fess, in chief argent two leopard’s paws or, in base gules, a dove argent bearing an olive-branch proper); panels with half-figures of Mary Magdalene and St Margaret; peacock.

6-line red or blue initials, decorated with contrasting purple or red penwork and green, blue and yellow wash, and penwork borders at the beginnings of psalms 26 (fol. 17v), 38 (fol. 26v), 52 (fol. 35r), 68 (fol. 44r), 80 (fol. 54v), 97 (fol. 64v), 109 (fol. 74v) and the hymnal (fol. 112r).

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

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

Rubrics in red.

Musical notation

Square notation on staves of four red lines.

Binding

16th century, Italian, Brescia: wood boards; polished dark brown leather, gilt-tooled all over on each cover with lines and stamps including an acorn, a grapevine roll, and at centre a Virgin and Child on a crescent moon within an oval of rays and between letters ‘.B.’ and ‘.P.’; spine with gilt lines and stamps (re-laid); edges gilt, gauffered (worn), after trimming of contents; two fore-edge clasps with embroidered red/blue fabric straps, and gilt catches and catch-plates embossed with ?classical figures. Gilt spine-label and carta bassanese endleaves added, 18th century, Italy; rebacked, 19th/20th century, Bodleian. 193–195 146–149 c. 38–43 (book closed). MS. made for the Dominican nunnery of St Catherine, Brescia; similar binding at MS. Douce 272, from Brescia.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti.

Provenance

Made for the Dominican convent of St Catherine, Brescia: dedication of the church, 20 October, in the calendar. The presence of Catherine of Siena in the calendar, hymnal and litany suggests that the psalter was made after her canonization in 1461.

Initials ‘B’ and ‘P’ on the binding, and ‘F. B. B.’ and ‘F. P. M.’ written in black ink on fol. ii recto, 16th century (?).

16th-century additions in the calendar including the feasts of San Costanzo of Niardo (12 February, 19 February, 15 September). His body was translated to the Benedictine nunnery of San Salvatore (or Santa Giulia) in Brescia in 1481. The additions also include Philastrius, bishop of Brescia (18 July).

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

Title

'...Psalterium secundum ordinem Fratrum Predicatorum'

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 191

Summary

'...Psalterium secundum ordinem Fratrum Predicatorum', with Canticles, etc., Litany (fol. 108v), Hymnal (fol. 112), and Calendar (fol. 157). The occurrence of Stt. Faustinus and Jovita in the Calendar (Feb. 15, in red) and Litany, and the 'Dedicatio ecclesie sancte Katherine' on Oct. 20, show that the book was for use in Brescia. There are musical notes, and at fol. 163 examples of the eight Toni.

Arms on fol. 1:--party per fess, in chief argent two leopards' paws or, in base gules a dove argent bearing an olive branch proper.

Date

Written late in the 15th century in Brescia

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with coloured border, etc., binding, leather with gold designs, medallion, 'B. P.' and clasps, contemporary

Physical extent

166 Leaves