Birgitta of Sweden — 15th century, second half; Dutch

Title

Birgitta of Sweden — 15th century, second half; Dutch

Shelfmark

MS. Dutch e. 2

Place of origin

Dutch

Date

15th century, second half

Language

Middle Dutch (ca. 1050-1350)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

paper

Physical extent

ii (modern paper) + 212 + ii (modern paper) leaves

Hands

Gothic bookhand

Decoration

Initials. (Pächt and Alexander i. 235)

Some words, phrases, or longer passages such as 'rubrics' written in plain brown ink and underlined in red; some rubrics written in red; capitals touched in red.

Five- or six-line initials in blue, with reserved designs, ornamented with foliage in two shades of green, and purplish (fols. 20v, 74r, 160r, 179v); similar two- to four-line line initials (fols. 72r, 78v, 174r, 175r, 185r, 190r); two similar three- to four-line initials, with red instead of blue and less purplish colour (fol. 192v, 194v); two initials in red (now oxidised to give a metallic appearance) with reserved designs, and penwork foliate flourishes (fols. 61v, 66r); two-line initials in plain red.

Binding

Sewn on four bands and bound with 15th-century panels of (?)Dutch stamped leather, originally with two clasps at the fore-edge; re-used on an 19th-century English polished leather binding over pasteboards (perhaps for Quaritch, see under Provenance); rebacked with the 19th-century spine laid on; the spine with a later 19th-century title piece lettered in gilt; 'LEGENDS | OF | SAINTS | MS.'; marbled endpapers; the edges of the leaves red.

Acquisition

Acquired 1924.

Provenance

Bernard Quaritch, with their price-codes 'K/n/' (i.e. £1 3s) and 'K/Da/(?)' (i.e. £1 15s), perhaps the original cost, and cost including rebinding; and price '£3/3/' (fol. i verso); other bookseller's codes etc.: inscribed in pencil '257' (pehaps referring to a catalogue) (fol. 216r), the same number, erased, on fol. i verso; inscribed in pencil 'P.2.' and '281' (fol. i verso).

Gerard F. Leather with his 19th-century armorial bookplate, with the motto 'NIL NISI | QUOD | HONESTUM'; another manuscript from his collection was sold at Sotheby's, 20 June 1995, lot 117.