Portable Psalter with Antiphons, Augustinian Use; Italy, Venice, 15th century, third quarter

Title

Portable Psalter with Antiphons, Augustinian Use; Italy, Venice, 15th century, third quarter

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 8

Associated place

Italian

Venice

Place of origin

Italian, Venice

Date

15th century, third quarter

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves

Physical extent

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

Hands

Formal Gothic book hand, black ink.

Decoration

Red and blue penwork KL monograms and borders in the left and upper margins in the calendar.

9-line Beatus-initial and 7- to 8-line historiated initials, decorated with foliage, on gold background, and full borders, decorated with filigree scrolls, flowers, leaves, birds and gold discs at liturgical divisions: fol. 14r, Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)), King David kneeling in prayer, his psaltery on the ground by his side, half-figure of God in the sky, blessing; rocky landscape in the background. (full border) Four medallions with half-figures of saints (including Jerome and Mark (?)),; two angels supporting a laurel wreath with arms of Loredan quartering Contarini. fol. 45v, Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)), Half-figure of King David, pointing to his eyes, facing light shining from the sky; trees in the background. fol. 66r, Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)), Half-figure of King David pointing to his mouth, facing light shining from the sky; trees in the background. fol. 85v, Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)), Half-figure of the Fool in tunic and cloak, holding a club over his shoulder, finger raised, facing light shining from the sky; trees in the background. fol. 105v, Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)), Half-figure of King David, nude, praying in waters. fol. 130v, Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)), Half-figure of King David playing psaltery, facing light shining from the sky; trees in the background. fol. 153v, Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)), Two white-clad nuns singing from a music book open on a lectern. fol. 178r, Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)), Half-figure of Christ, standing, holding an orb and blessing; trees in the background.

Borders: see above.

2-line red and blue initials and borders (left margin) with floral and abstract designs (blue and red penwork, green and blue wash, and gold) at the beginnings of psalms and canticles.

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

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

16th century or 17th century?, Italian: wood boards; red velvet, badly worn; traces of lost metal corner-pieces, centrepieces and scalloped borders, possibly a frame for a girdle binding (cf. MS. Canon. Liturg. 237, same provenance); edges gilt, gauffered, after trimming.

18th century, Italian, Venice, for Jacopo Soranzo: paste-downs and flyleaves of carta bassanese, added after removal of the metal fittings. 135 98 c. 47 (book closed).

Acquisition

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

Provenance

Made for an Augustinian canoness of the Santa Maria delle Verginiin Venice. Arms of Loredan quartering Contarini on fol. 14r.

Jacopo Soranzo (1686–1761): binding. After Soranzo’s death by about 1780 at Cá Cornèr at San Maurizio, Venice (Mitchell, 1969).

Matteo Luigi Canonici of Venice (1727–c. 1806) : bought soon after 1780.

Title

'...Psalterium secundum ritum monialium Sancte Marie de Virginibus'

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 8

Summary

'... Psalterium secundum ritum monialium Sancte Marie de Virginibus', consisting of:

A Calendar, perhaps Venetian (fol. 1)

The Psalter, with canticles (fol. 225v)

Creeds (fol. 243v)

In the Calendar is 'Consecratio ecclesie nostre de Virginibus' (June 20) and 'Conuersio ecclesie nostre sancte Marie de Virginibus' (June 25). There are some fine illuminated borders, including miniatures, and on fol. 13 a coat of arms, 1st and 4th or three bendlets azure, for Contarini, 2nd and 3rd party per fess, in the upper part or three roundles pierced (?) azure, in the lower part the same counterchanged. The nunnery may have been Carmelite (see fol. 153v).

Date

Written in the 15th century in Italy

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, illuminated, binding, red velvet, Italian

Physical extent

253 Leaves