Portable Psalter; Flanders, Bruges–Ghent area, 13th century, second to third quarter

Title

Portable Psalter; Flanders, Bruges–Ghent area, 13th century, second to third quarter

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. C. 940

Date

13th century, second or third quarter

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves

Physical extent

125 leaves Leaves were trimmed, occasionally causing the loss of text and decoration.

Hands

Formal Gothic book hand, black ink.

Decoration

The Beatus-initial and four other initials (psalms 26, 97, 101 and 109) have been excised. Most initials are damaged, gold flaking. Historiated initials: fol. 18r Psalm 38 (initial (D(ixi)) 9-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book, on gold background. fol. 31r Psalm 51 (initial Q(vid)) 10-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book (damaged), on gold background; the tail of Q, extending to the lower margin, ends with a dragon’s head. fol. 31v Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)) 9-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with St Andrew, seated, holding a diagonal cross; gold background. fol. 46r Psalm 68 (initial (S(aluum)) 9-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book; gold background (rubbed off); dragon’s head terminal on a tendril extending to the left margin. fol. 57r Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)) 11-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book; gold background.

3-line gold initials on blue and pink background at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and litany.

1-line alternating gold (edged with black) and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Binding

Brown leather of suede-like texture over pasteboard, 18th century, first half. Double blind fillet lines around the outer edge of both covers. Rectangular panel at the centre of both covers, with floral corner-pieces and borders formed by fillet lines, arabesque and scallop designs. Five raised bands with faded arabesque designs, on spine. The bands are framed by triple fillet lines. Red leather label on spine with gold border and gilt lettering ‘MSS’. Scallop designs on turn-ins. Marbled paper pastedowns and flyleaves. A further set of two fly-leaves of laid paper, contemporary with the binding. Endbands, the top one mostly lost, of red and white thread.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bequeathed by Rawlinson; accessioned in 1756.

Provenance

Made for the use of Ghent: evidence of litany. Similar in decoration, textual contents, liturgical and codicological features to psalters from the Bruges–Ghent area datable to the second half of the 13th century (Carlvant, 1978, pp. 90–3).

Abingdon, Berkshire, Benedictine abbey of St Mary the Virgin (?). John Crystall, monk of the Benedictine Abbey in Abingdon, England : ‘Hic liber pertinit ad Johannem Crystall monachum Abend’’ (fol. 118r), 16th century. John Crystall was at Abingdon Abbey by 1504, was pensioned at its dissolution in 1538, and was still in receipt of his pension in 1555–56 (see Emden, 1974, p. 156).

Prayers added early in the 16th century in Abingdon (?) on fol. iv recto.

‘John Chisholm’ and a faint drawing of a human face on fol. 65r, perhaps by the hand that added the psalm numbers in the margins (17th century (?)).

Richard Rawlinson (1690–1755) , see ODNB: bookplate, upper pastedown.

Title

Psalter (portable)

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. C. 940

Date

second or third quarter of the 13th century

Language

Latin

Physical extent

1 item