Secular Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, Pavia (?), late 13th or early 14th century, and 15th century, first quarter

Title

Secular Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, Pavia (?), late 13th or early 14th century, and 15th century, first quarter

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 356

Place of origin

Italian, Pavia (?)(?)

Date

with additions, 15th century, first quarter

13th century, late, or 14th century early;

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves; many leaves repaired with paper or parchment, the one on fol. 26r with fragments of text

Physical extent

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

Hands

Large formal Gothic book hand, black ink; antiphons, etc. are in a smaller script.

Decoration

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

Historiated initials and borders at liturgical divisions. fol. 9r, Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)), Two-thirds of the page, on gold background (flaking), decorated with coiled tendrils, interlace, acanthus leaves and animal head. Half-figure of God, holding a book and blessing, and half-figure of a kneeling patron (?) in blue robe and hat (both defaced, flaking, underdrawing visible). (full border) Coiled tendrils with acanthus leaves and gold discs (flaking); King David playing harp in a medallion and a grotesque in the lower margin; kneeling tonsured figure in blue robe in the left margin; portrait head in a medallion in right margin; birds and grotesque in the upper margin. fol. 131r, Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)), 8-line initial on gold background (flaking), decorated with grotesques, coiled tendrils and foliage, infilled with half-figure of Christ with cruciform halo, holding a book and blessing. (full border) Coiled tendrils with acanthus leaves and gold discs (flaking); leaping dog; nude figure with a shield and sword, seated on a decorative stem; medallion with a bust of a young man; birds; hybrid figure in a long tunic and cloak, with animal head, standing, holding a staff in raised hand; profile head with a decorative stem growing out of its mouth. fol. 138r, Psalm 118: 1 (initial B(eati)), 6-line initial on gold background (flaking), decorated with foliage, infilled with a half-figure of a tonsured cleric in black habit. (border, left and lower margins) Tendrils with acanthus leaves and gold discs (flaking); grotesques. fol. 189r, Hymnal (initial P(rimo)), Pink and green initial on blue background, occupying two-thirds of the page, decorated with acanthus leaves, infilled with half-figure of a bearded man, pointing to the text. Added in the 15th century, first quarter. (border, left, lower and upper margins) Coiled tendrils with acanthus leaves. Added in the 15th century, first quarter.

Historiated borders: see above.

8-line initials on gold background, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage, grotesques and animal heads at the beginnings of psalms 26 (fol. 34r), 38 (fol. 50r), 52 (fol. 65r), 68 (fol. 79v), 80 (fol. 97v) and 97 (fol. 114r). Similar 4- to 5-line initials at the beginnings of psalms 114 (fol. 135r), 118: 33 (fol. 140r), 118: 81 (fol. 143r), 118: 129 (fol. 145v), 121 (fol. 149r), 126 (fol. 151v), 131 (fol. 153v), 137 (fol. 158r) and 143 (fol. 163v). The initials are accompanied by borders, decorated with coiled tendrils, acanthus leaves, gold discs, grotesques, birds, animal and human figures and heads. Erased standing figure in the left margin at psalm 38 (fol. 50r). The opening words of the psalms are written in gold capitals on blue and pink background.

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

1-line alternating plain red and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods in the psalter; 1-line alternating red and blue initials, decorated with simple blue or red penwork, at the beginnings of verses in the hymnal.

Guide-letters and words are often visible in the margins, set at a distance from the main text (e.g. fols. 43v–44r, 129v–130r, ‘Exultate’ on fol. 97v).

Rubrics in red ink.

Musical notation

Square notation on staves of four red lines.

Binding

Soranzo’s binding: parchment over pasteboard; small stiff flaps on the fore-edges of covers. ‘356’ written in black ink on spine. Brown leather label on spine, framed with gilt arabesque designs, with gilt lettering ‘KALEND. PSALT. || ET || HYMNARIUM || COD . MEMB.’. Fragment of Soranzo’s label on spine with ‘116[4]’ (i.e. number 1164 in folio in Soranzo’s catalogue (Mitchell, 1969)). Pastedowns and fly-leaves of stiff paper with burgundy, purple and yellow floral designs (carta bassanese). Further flyleaves made of 18th-century laid paper; no watermarks. Markings left by two clasps of an earlier binding on fols. 1–6.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti. Earlier shelfmarks: ‘Miscell. Liturg. 356’ (fol. 3r).

Provenance

Made for a secular church in or near Pavia (?): liturgical evidence.

15th-century additions: feasts in the calendar, including the feasts of Vincent Ferrer and Transfiguration; hymns for Transfiguration and Corpus Christi, initial at the beginning of the hymnal.

Post-medieval liturgical notes and additions, showing that the psalter was still used in Italy in the 17th century.

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

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

Title

A Psalter, with canticles, creeds, etc.

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 356

Summary

A Psalter, with canticles, creeds, etc., preceded by a calendar (fol. 3), and followed by 'Ymnarium per totum annum' (fol. 189), with prayers. There are musical notes in parts. In the calendar Domninus is in red (Oct. 9): and John Calybita (Feb. 27) and Dalmatius (Dec. 5) occur.

Date

Written in the first half of the 14th century in Italy

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with some miniatures, large illuminated capitals, borders, etc.

Physical extent

244 Leaves