Eucharistic prayers and devotional texts

Title

Eucharistic prayers and devotional texts

Shelfmark

MS. Germ. e. 22

Place of origin

Dominican convent of St. Nikolaus in undis in Strasbourg

Date

1577 and 1592

Language

German

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

paper [except fol. 4, parchment]; fragments of 'Baselstab'-watermark PICCARD 33118 (dated 1577, Weißenburg, Alsace) or PICCARD 33119 (dated 1582, Oberkirch, Alsace) throughout the book.

Physical extent

375 leaves

Hands

Hand 1, fols. 5r–233r: Cursiva Libraria – a very distinctive, skilled and, considering the time of creation, extremely conservative hand which shows the following features: single compartment a; excessive and stringent use of looped ascenders at h, b, l and k; ascender of d looped to the left; g not looped; descenders of f and straight s below the baseline (as well as last minim of h); dotted y (single dot); umlaut written with one or two dots above the letter; highlighting done either by rubrication, underlining in rubrication or rubrication of single letters. A comparison to other documents from St. Nikolaus in undis shows that this type of script was a ‘corporate design’ of St. Nikolaus in undis (see, for example, Strasbourg, Archives de la ville et de l’Eurometropole, II,39/14–16, II,41–42a/6, II,42b/12). Comparing the manuscript to the hands of different nuns from the convent makes it appear possible or even likely that it was written by Susanna Brünnin, who from the 1570s until the closure in 1592 had been last prioress of the convent and was jailed by the protestant city authorities in 1594 (Anna Sauerbrey, Die Straßburger Klöster im 16. Jahrhundert (Tübingen 2012), 307f, 43, 402–412; Thomas Lentes, Gebetbuch und Gebärde. Religiöses Ausdruckverhalten in Gebetbüchern aus dem Dominikanerinnen-Kloster St. Nikolaus in undis zu Strassburg (1350-1550) (Münster, 1996), 99f; Hans Hornung, Daniel Sudermann als Handschriftensammler. Ein Beitrag zur Straßburger Bibliotheksgeschichte (Tübingen 1957), 116–118; Amy Leonard, Nails in the Wall. Catholic Nuns in Reformation Germany (Chicago, 2005)). An account book and several documents that can clearly be ascribed to Brünnin (mostly part of the convolute Strasbourg, Archive de la ville et de l’Eurometropole, II,39/17) show the same distinctive handwriting. The manuscript Strasbourg, Bibliothèque Nationale Universitaire de Strasbourg, ms. 2748 (a collection of devotional texts titled ‘Geistliche Wirtschaft’ which is very similar to this manuscript) also appears to have been written by this hand.

Hand 2, fols. 233v–235r: 16th or early 17th century Hybrida Libraria, also very conservative for that time and similar but not identical to the inscription on the front pastedown.

Decoration

Miniature on fol. 4v, depicting four angels holding a monstrance containing a host turned into the Christ child; 77 × 105 mm; gilded frame; inscriptions in rubricated Textura: Ave rex noster fili David redemptorand Ecce panis Angelorum sanctis cibus; background showing floral elements and a star filled sky (green, red, violet, yellow, black, blue, brown, gold, gilding).

16 elaborated and skillfully painted initials, most of them with gilded elements: fol. 5r: painted E-initial, 24 × 25 mm (green, blue, white, black, yellow, floral tendrils in brown ink), historiated E-initial with gilded elements, 43 × 45 mm, depicting violet flower, probably Myosotis (green, red, violet, white, black, yellow, blue, floral tendrils in brown ink, two painted floral extensions in watercolor) and floral decoration on the lower margin (clover, ink drawing colorized in green, yellow, violet and white); fol. 46r: historiated O-initial, depicting male portrait (red and violet ink, floral tendrils in brown ink) and floral decoration on the lower margin (carnation, ink drawing colorized in green, red and yellow); fol. 72r: painted O-initial with gilded elements, 25 × 34 mm (blue, black, yellow, gilding, floral tendrils in brown ink); fol. 80v: painted and historiated O-initial with gilded elements, 30 × 33 mm, depicting violet flowers, probably Myosotis (white, green, red, violet, black, yellow, gilding) and floral decoration on the lower margin (strawberry plant, ink drawing colorized in green, red and yellow); fol. 90v: E-initial with gilded elements, 31 × 35 mm (black, gilding, floral tendrils in brown ink); fol. 114v: painted and historiated O-initial with gilded elements, 30 × 32 mm, depicting violet flower, probably carnation, (green, violet, red, yellow, black, white, gilding, tendrils in brown ink); fol. 116v: O-initial with gilded elements, 32 × 34 mm (violet, black, gilding, floral tendrils in brown ink); 117v: W-initial with gilded elements, 40 × 35 mm (red, yellow, blue, white, gilding, floral tendrils in brown ink); fol. 123v: painted G-initial with gilded elements, 41 × 41 mm (green, yellow, red, gilding); fol. 128r: G-initial with gilded elements, 35 × 35 mm (blue, white, gilding, tendrils in red ink) and floral decoration on the lower margin (strawberries, ink drawing colorized in green, red, white, yellow and violet); fol. 142v: O-initial with gilded elements, 33 × 33 mm (black, gilding, floral tendrils in brown ink); fol. 155v: painted and historiated U-initial with gilded elements, 35 × 34 mm, depicting violet and yellow flowers, probably Pulsatilla vulgaris (red, black, grey, green, blue, yellow, white, violet, gilding, floral tendrils in violet ink); fol. 189r: painted B-initial with gilded elements, 22 × 22 mm (red, green, yellow, black, gilding, elaborated floral tendrils in violet ink); fol. 252r: painted and historiated D-initial with gilded elements, 26 × 26 mm, depicting violet flowers, probably myosotis (blue, red, yellow, white, green, violet, black, gilding).

Very frequently found in the whole manuscript are red and blue flourished initials between 2 and 5 lines high and often decorated with complex foliate tendrils.

Binding

Apparently the manuscript has only been bound once very shortly after it was finished, probably by a local Strasbourg bookbinder. Bound on three threads in brown calf leather; boards made from leather-covered wood and heavily decorated: plate stamp (negative plate) on the front board showing the crucifixion with inscription ‘PROPTER SCELVS POPVLI MEI’ [percussi eum, Jes. 53:8]; plate stamp (negative plate) on the lower board showing the resurrection with inscription ‘MORS ERO MORS TVA MORS’ [-us tuus ero, inferne, Hos. 13:14]. These stamps are identical with those found on the bindings of Munich, Bayrische Staatsbibliothek Inc.c.a. 77 a, an incunabulum which was rebound in 1586, and Vienna, Museum für angewandte Kunst–Barockbibliothek, S 25, which apparently was also written at St. Nikolaus in undis in the late 16th century and has a very similarly designed binding. Identification numbers of the plate stamps: EBDB p002705 and EBDB p002704; the connection of them to Konrad Haebler, Rollen- und Plattenstempel des XVI. Jahrhunderts (Leipzig, 1928–1929), I 378, X and the concluding ascription to a Nuremberg binder given in the EBDB prove to be false. Roll stamps around the centers of both front and back cover showing (1) symbols of the four evangelists, each of them with a book and surrounded by floral elements, (2) biblical quotes: ‘DATA EST MIHI OM’ [-nis potestas, Mt. 28:18], ‘TV ES PETRVS ET’ [super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam, Mt. 16:18], ‘ECCE AGNVS DEI’ [qui tollit peccatum, Joh. 1:29], ‘APPARVIT BENI’ [-gnitas et humanitas, Tit. 3:4], (3) apostles with their symbols: old man with two keys and a book, identifiable as Peter; man with sword and closed book, identifiable as Paul; man with a Cross, probably James; man with a book. Identical with a roll stamp found on the binding of Munich, Bayrische Staatsbibliothek, ESlg/J.can.p. 343, bearing the identification number EBDB r002888 and described in Konrad Haebler, Rollen- und Plattenstempel des XVI. Jahrhunderts (Leipzig, 1928–1929), II 229, 55. Ruling on both boards as well as on the spine. Remains of two small brass clasps; strips missing, catchplates on the front board. Edges of the boards slanted. Headband braided from beige and brown hemp threads. Front joint damaged. No binding fragments visible. Tail, head and fore edge show remains of yellow coloring.

Acquisition

In 2009 the Bodleian Library purchased the manuscript from the antiquarian bookseller ‘Les Enluminures’ (see Sandra Hindman (ed.), Pen to Press–Paint to Print. Manuscript Illumination and Early Prints in the Age of Gutenberg, Paris, Les Enluminures, 3 February–15 April 2009, C. G. Boerner, New York, 28 April–9 May 2009, (Paris, 2009), 24f). In general, the manuscript is in a good conservational condition (although esp. the binding shows some wear and the lower margins of the pages are often thumped).

Provenance

Two addenda on fol. 233v–235v bear witness to two later owners: The first supplement was done by a skilled scribe probably in the late 16th or early 17th century – this second hand is very similar although not identical to that of Sibilla Schaupin.

The second addendum is written in a slightly scruffy 17th or 18th current apparently not belonging to a professional scribe.

On the front pastedown, a number of old library shelfmarks are written in lead (2737an; 107/9460 [26863]; 1072; 314/PS), as well as a partly erased but still readable entry in what looks like a German late 19th or early 20th century hand, saying 330 Bll. u. 1 Miniatur auf Pergament.

A bookplate (dated 1913) on fol. 1r proves that at the beginning of the 20th century the manuscript was part of the ‘Centre Cabinet’ of the library of Markree Castle (County Sligo, Ireland) which was owned by the Irish politician Bryan Cooper and his family.