Secular Choir Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, Padua (?), 1266, with additions

Title

Secular Choir Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, Padua (?), 1266, with additions

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 370

Place of origin

Italian, Padua(?)

Date

1266, with additions

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves

Physical extent

147 leaves Leaves were trimmed in rebinding, occasionally causing the loss of text and decoration.

Hands

Formal Gothic book hand; black ink; antiphons, etc. are in a smaller script. Written by Giovanni da Gaibana in 1266.

Decoration

Red and blue KL monograms, decorated with blue and red penwork, in the calendar. Monograms are not filled in on the first leaf (January–February).

Half-page Beatus-initial, decorated with coiled tendrils and foliage, on brown background in a blue frame, on fol. 6r. The opening words of the psalm are written in red and blue capitals, decorated with contrasting blue and red penwork.

9-line initial D, decorated with coiled tendrils and foliage, on blue background in red frame, at the beginning of psalm 38 (fol. 22r).

7-line initial S, formed by the body of a grotesque, decorated with foliage, on brown background in a blue frame, at the beginning of psalm 68 (fol. 46v).

6- to 7-line initials, decorated with foliage, on blue or brown background, in contrasting brown or blue frames, at the beginnings of psalms 52 (fol. 34r), 80 (fol. 54v) and the hymnal (fol. 101v).

2- to 3-line alternating red and blue initials, decorated with contrasting blue or red penwork, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and hymns. Some initials are decorated with animal figures (fols. 14r, 106r), bird (fol. 51v) and human faces and figures (fols. 26r, 50v, 87r).

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

4-line initial in a different style, on blue background, infilled with the Virgin and Child, at the beginning of the Office of the Virgin (fol. 134r).

Rubrics in red ink.

Musical notation

Square notation on staves of four red lines.

Binding

Light brown leather over pasteboard, Italian, 18th century. Border made of two rows of blind roll floral decoration, framed by double blind fillet lines, round the outer edge of both covers. Four raised bands on spine framed by gilt fillet lines. Brown leather label with a gilt arabesque border on spine, with gilt lettering: ‘PSALT. || ET HIMN. || AD USUM || ECCL. PATAV || COD. MEMB’. Pastedowns made of marbled paper; fly-leaves of 18th-century laid paper with a watermark ‘A Z’. ‘370’ written in black ink on the edge of the textblock.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti. Earlier shelfmark: ‘Miscell. Liturg. 370’ (fol. i recto).

Provenance

Written in 1266 in Padua (?) by Johannes de Gaibana: ‘Hec de gaibana cui uox est grata Johannes || Presbiter hec scripsit. Christi currentibus annis || Mille ducentenis. decies sex bis tribus adde’ (fol. 129v). Made for use in the Cathedral-Basilica of Santa Maria of Padua: evidence of the calendar.

At the church of St Peter, Carnia, in the 14th and early 15th centuries, according to two notes, dated 1357 and 1403, on fol. 131v. The first note says that Presbyter Johannes began to serve in the church in 1357, when Nicholas of Luxemburg (d. 1358) was patriarch of Aquileia and Gratianus, canon of Aquileia, praepositus. The second note says that Presbyter Johannes began to serve in the church in 1403, when Antonio Panciera (1350–1431) was patriarch of Aquileia, and Michaele Strasoldo, canon of Aquileia, praepositus. ‘Millesimo ccco lviio Indicione decima die prima Octumbris incepi ego presbiter Iohannes officiare ecclesiam sancti petri pro mansionaria Regnante patriarcha nostro dignissimo domino Nicolao . et praeposito nostro domino graciano canonico aquileg’ et vicario in temporalibus in Aquileg’’ ‘Anno domini Millesimo cccco iii in festo sancti georii [sic] incepi ego presbiter Johanes Plebanus in sauris officiare ecclesiam sancti petri pro mansionario Regnante patriarcha nostro dignissimo domino Anthonio de Partogralario et praeposito nostro Michahele de Strasold canonico aquileg’’ The hand which added the notes is probably responsible for many obits added to the calendar, and for antiphons and other additions to the psalter.

‘Johannes Puschnagel de dolces’ (?) or ‘doelch’ (?), 15th century (?), fol. 132r.

‘Fuit reverendissimi capituli Sancti Patri in Montibus Carneae in antiqua tabula qua erat prius colligatum’ in an 18th-century hand on fol. 141v.

A note in an Italian 18th-century hand (probably not by Canonici) about the manuscript on fol. iii.

Matteo Luigi Canonici of Venice (1727–c. 1806), but not from the libraries of Soranzo or Trevisan (Mitchell, 1969).

Title

'...Psalterium Dauid'

Shelfmark

MS. Canon. Liturg. 370

Summary

'...Psalterium Dauid', with canticles, etc.: preceded by a calendar (wanting Sept.-Oct.), and followed by a Hymnal (fol. 101v), and 'Officium sancte Marie' (fol. 134). There are musical notes. The calendar contains many original and added obits of persons at Padua: there are also later (15th cent.) obits, explained by the statement (in an 18th cent. hand), 'Fuit reverendissimi capituli Sancti Petri in montibus Carneae: in antiqua tabula qua erat prius colligatum', cf. fol. 131v.

Date

Written in 1266 in Padua (?) by Johannes de Gaibana

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with some large coloured capitals, etc.

Physical extent

143 Leaves

Custodial history

At fol. 129v is 'Hec de Gaibana cui uox est grata Iohannes | Presbiter hec scripsit. Christi currentibus annis | Mille ducentenis. decies sex bis tribus addes', = A.D. 1266. A note by the abbate Canonici about the MS. is at fol. ii.