This collection starts with Christianity's earliest liturgical MS of 3rd c., (MS 193) and comprises a great variety of liturgical texts of the Roman Catholic church, Greek, Russian and Syrian Orthodox churches. It shares many MSS with the music collection. 18 examples out of 226 MSS are listed
| MS 245/07 | ![]() |
| CHRISTIAN LITERARY TEXT, WITH THE NAME OF CHRIST, FOR LITURGICAL PURPOSE | |
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MS in Sahidic on limestone, Egypt, 7th c., 1 limestone, 22x17 cm, single column, 40 lines in a sloping Coptic uncial. Context 1. The collection of the renowned papyrologist Prof. Atiyah consisted of more than 677 papyri, mainly originating in Middle Egypt, including Oxyrhynchus and Fayum. The first part of 140 papyri (H.P. Kraus cat. 105(1961)), is now in Yale, Beinecke Library, while 242 Greek papyri is MS 244 and 295 Coptic papyri is MS 245 in The Schøyen Collection, see also MS 108. Provenance: 1. Aziz Suryal Atiyah, Utah (- ca. 1960); 2. H.P. Kraus Cat.126(1971):107. Commentary: A rare and unusually long liturgical text on a rough slab of limestone, that will require more research. See MS 096, Antiphonal, France, late 9th c. |
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| MS 673 | ![]() |
THE SOUTH WEALD MISSAL
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MS in Latin and Middle English (text 2) on vellum, South Weald, Essex, 1405-10, 248 ff. (-16), 41x29 cm, 2 columns, (29x20 cm) 36 lines in a Gothic liturgical book script, music of square notation on a 4-line red staff, red or blue initials with fleurissons, 15 large illuminated initials with bar borders and foliate sprays, 1 large illuminated initial with full border in the style of the workshop of Herman Scheere. Published: Text 2. The Index of Middle English Prose. Handlist X. Irma Taavitsainen: Manuscripts in Scandinavian Collections. Cambridge, Brewer, 1994, p. 30. |
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Binding: South Weald, Essex, England, ca. 1410, goatskin over stout oak boards, sewn on 7 double thongs, with goatskin chemise, now trimmed and folded over inside boards, with text 2 as pastedown. Provenance: 1. Church of St. Peter, South Weald, Essex (from ca. 1410); 2. Henry Lymbur (16th c.); 3. H.C. Pratt, Brentwood, Essex (1990); 4. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London. Commentary: Chemise bindings are rare. For another chemise binding, see MS 692. Published: Text 2. The Index of Middle English Prose. Handlist X. Irma Taavitsainen: Manuscripts in Scandinavian Collections. Cambridge, Brewer, 1994, p. 30. |
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| MS 195 | |
| MISSAL, WITH ADDITIONAL OFFICES FOR ST. ANNE, CONTRA PESTEM HOMINUM AND DE CONCEPTIONE SIXTUS PAPA | |
| MS in Latin on paper, Augsburg?, Southern Germany, ca. 1485, 209 ff. (complete), 31x20 cm, single column, (24x14 cm), 16 and 32-34 lines in a Gothic bastarda book script, musical Hufnagel notation on a red 5-line staff, numerous painted initials, some line endings of red penwork, 48 painted initials with border decoration, 5 with historiated borders, 1 inserted full-page miniature on vellum of the Crucifixion in gold and colours, in the Rhenish art style of this period. | |
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Binding: Germany, 1549, dark brown leather, over wooden boards, sewn of 5 bands, 15 stamps of roundels with renaissance busts and a large central panel gilt with 3 standing musicians on upper cover, 15 similar roundels and stamps of standing Renaissance warriors on lower cover, 9 brass bosses. Inscription gilt on upper cover: " Missale renovatum Anno Domini MDXLIX". Provenance: 1. J.W. Abberg (1669); 2. Bruce Ferrini, Akron, Ohio. See also 1372, Missal, Tyrol, 2nd half 15th c. |
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| MS 039 | |
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MS in Latin on vellum, Brabant, Belgium, 15th c., Text 5: 16th c., 285 ff. (complete), 18x13 cm, single column, (11x18 cm), 18 lines in a regular Gothic book script of high grade and quality, 18 large and very large decorated initials with 3/4 borders, and 2 near full-page initials with full borders in elaborate penwork in colours, one including a sacred heart on the Cross. Binding: Netherlands, 15th c. blind-stamped tanned calf over wooden boards, sewn on 5 double cords, 16th c. rebacking of blindtooled leather, edges of rebacking leather held on boards by brass strips. |
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Provenance: 1. Bridgettine Abbey of Marienwater, Brabant, Belgium (from 15th c.); 2. Christina de Roos, Bridgettine nun, (16th c.); 3. Sotheby's 1.12.1987:38. See also MS 049, Breviary, Melk, Austria, ca. 1476 See also MS 1392, Breviary, Sweden, ca. 1400-1460 |
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| MS 198 | |
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| MS in Latin on vellum, Germany, 1430, 2 vols., 266 + 257 ff. (complete),
32x25 cm + 33x24 cm, single column, 10 lines of text and music, in a formal
Gothic book script of high grade, in square notation on a 4-line red staff
with C- and F-clefs indicated, calligraphic initials throughout in red, blue
or black, touched in red with often grotesque pen decoration, 18 large
initials, mostly in blue on geometrically patterned red ground, 4 very large
initials with elaborate decoration of birds with animal heads, animals or
flowers, with full margin pen flourishes.
Binding: Germany, ca. 1430, pigskin over heavy wooden red-painted boards , sewn of 5 thongs, brass centre and cornerpieces with bosses, leather clasps with brass catches. Original linen page markers on wooden holder, metal or vellum thumb tags. |
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Provenance:1. Lucy, Helen and William Pease (until 1988); 2. Christie's 7.12.1988:28. Commentary: Contemporary accounts of how to perform medieval music are rare, and important for our understanding of how we shall perform it today. See MS 034. Dated account noted by the scribe on f. 1 in both volumes, including prices of production. Published: Bookmarkers: Lois Swales and Heather Blatt: Tiny Textiles Hidden in Books: Toward a Categorization of Multiple-Strand Bookmarkers. In: Medieval Clothing and Textiles, vol 3. Boydell and Brewer, 2007, pp. 145-177. |
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| MS 1674 | |
| PONTIFICAL AND FEASTS OF THE SAINTS, USE OF NONANTOLA | |
| MSin Latin on vellum, Nonantola, Italy, 1719, 44 ff. (complete), 34x23 cm,
single column, (27x17 cm), 17 lines in a formal rounded Roman book script
imitating printed type, music on a 4-line red staff with square notation
filled with a variety of geometric designs, 2- to 3-line decorated capitals
with geometric designs, 25 large calligraphic initials, 4- to 6-line, in
alternating red and black, often with floral and foliate designs and
flourishes, elaborate decorated title page illustrating the Abbey of Nonantola
with Emblems and devices of the patron (Chigi), explicit page with his
monogram.
Binding: Abbey of Nonantola, Italy, 1719, red morocco gilt with the arms of Chigi (=Cardinal Ciampelli?, Firenze), sewn on 6 bands. |
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Provenance: 1. Benedictine (Cistercian from 1514) Abbey of St. Sylvester, Nonantola (1719-1768); 2. Baynerius Mancini, Italy; 3. Sam Fogg cat. 15(1992):69. Commentary: The presentation copy of Chigi (Cardinal Ciampelli), Firenze. The Abbey of Nonantola was one of the most important scriptoria in Italy in the Middle Ages. By the end of the 15th c. it possessed a library of 6000 codices. In 1768 it was suppressed by Pope Clement XIII, re-established by Pope Pius VII in 1821, and appropriated by the Italian government in 1866. See also MS 1670 Tonary, Germany ca. 1150 See also MS 1281, Cantorinus, Norway, 15th c. |
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