24th ILAB International Antiquarian Book Fair - Vereinigung der ...

63
Book of hours at the use of Rome. Italian illuminated
manuscript on vellum. [Italy, Tuscany
(probably Florence), ca. 1450]. 8vo (120 × 90
mm), 19th century full buckram binding in
Romantic style with gilt and blind arabesque
toolings to covers and spine, gilt dentelles, pink
bookmark in silk and embroidered fabric case,
marbled box. Justification: 70 × 52 mm. Leaves
[210] = pp. 420, in quires of 10; one column
of 13 lines, in Italian Gothic letter. Illuminated
initials in gold and infills on blue. Lacking the
blank leaf after f. 91. At leaf 210r explicit: Ora
pro scriptore. CHF 42 000.–
19 illuminations in burnished gold and colours: 5
large illuminations: 3 large inhabited illuminations,
representing the Virgin and the Child, the Death
and King David, and 2 illuminated capitals with the
same dimensions representing the Cross on Mount
Calvary and the Holy Cross in burnished gold before
the sky. 14 smaller floral illuminated headletters
in blue, pink, green and gold. Many other rubricated
letters with red and blue infills and extensions.
– Wonderful, tasteful and richly illuminated Italian
«Book of hours» at the use of Rome, realized by a
very refined atelier in the middle of 15th century
and preserved in a precious embroidered case: a
masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. – Illumina-
Bibliopathos
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tion: At leaf 1r, the first large illumination with the
Virgin and Child inserted in a 8 lines capital D on
light blue background; the whole page is surrounded
by a rich border, decorated with polychromatic
phytomorphic motifs in blue, red, yellow, green and
gold and figures of animals. Here, the Holy Virgin
has been represented at the beginning of the liturgic
devotional of The Little Office of Our Lady. – At
leaves 14v, 31v, 37 v, 43r, 49v, 55v, 65 r, the first
cycle of seven illuminated floral initials on 4 or 5
lines in gold, blue, red, pink and green, with linear
and phytomorphic infills and marginal extensions.
– At leaf 92r, at the opening of the Office for the
Deads, the second large illumination representing
the Death in form of a Skeleton with a silver Sickle
is depicted inside an 8 lines capital D, with extensions
along the inner margin in blue, green pink
and gold. The skeleton carries the traditional scythe
and stands up behind a Renaissance marble balustrade.
– At leaf 143r, the third large illumination,
a inhabited initial with green, pink, blue and gold
extensions along the inner margin depicting King
David on a light blue background. This wonderful
illumination of King David, according to his traditional
iconography, is represented while playing a
harp due to the belief that wants him the author of
the Psalms. – At leaf 172r, 7 lines capital D containing
the fourth large illumination representing the
Cross on Mount Calvary on a blue sky background.
The marginal extensions, laying along the inner
margin of the page, are made up of phytomorphic
elements coloured in green, blue, pink and gold.
– At leaves 182r, 186v, 189r, 192r, 195r, 198r and
201r, the second cycle of seven illuminated floral
initials on 4 or 5 lines, illuminated in gold, blue, red,
and green and rubricated with infills on blue, green
and gold. – At leaf 205, the fifth large illumination
containing the Holy Cross, depicted in gold on blue
background, at the beginning of the Hours of the
Cross with marginal extensions coloured in blue,
green, pink and gold. – Many rubricated initials in
red and blue, with infills and marginal extensions
ruled in the opposite colour.
14 24th ILAB International Antiquarian Book Fair