Portable Gallican Psalter — 15th century, middle; English

Title

Portable Gallican Psalter — 15th century, middle; English

Shelfmark

MS. Lyell 23

Place of origin

English

Date

15th century, middle

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Decoration

Two main hands: a and b. Large painted foliate initials in a on fols. 39r, 54v, 68r, 82v, 102r, 118v, 136v, generally basically in blue (fol 68r in pink), on gold backgrounds, with further decoration in orange, pink, green, and red, with bar borders in gold and colours extending into the upper and lower margins and ending in clusters of leaves. Other initials to Psalms in a are in gold on backgrounds of pink and blue, or green, with sprays of coloured leaves, initials to verses are alternately blue flourished in red, or red in purple; b has painted initials on fols. 1r, 188v, 197r, 200r, in gold on backgrounds of pink and blue, decorated in white, with sprays of tiny gold or coloured leaves sprouting from outer corners. Other initials in b are mostly blue flourished in red; in the calendar some are gold flourished in purple. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 1045)

Acquisition

Chosen as one of the hundred manuscripts bequeathed to the Bodleian by Lyell in 1948.

Provenance

Tarrant Keynston, Dorset, Abbey of St Mary the Virgin, of Cistercian nuns: Entries in the calendar show that it was written for this house. Obit of Ric. Poor at Apr. 15, of Queen Joan of Scotland at Mar. 5; 'Electio dompne Ysabelle Wilton' at Aug. 12. Queen Joan was buried at Tarrent and was a benefactor. (MLGB3: evidence from locally specific contents, including obits, scribbles, etc.).

Bookplate of Robert Cooper, Jnr. Grafton and Co., Coptic House, Great Russell Street, Catalogue 66 (1928), no. 1, cat. 123 (1933), no. 678 (£120). Still in their possession Febr. 1938, and Aug. 1940. (MLGB3)

James P. R. Lyell, 1871–1948