Beschreibung:

ANTIPHONAL, Common of the saints. MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [Spain, 17th century], 457 x 350 mm. 63 leaves, of more than 72 (without ff. 13-19, 24, 67, and all after 72). Quires of three bifolia, arranged with flesh sides always out. Later foliation in roman numerals in upper right corners of rectos. Each page ruled with six musical staves of four red lines each, square neumes in dark brown ink, six lines of text written in dark brown ink in a mixture of gothic and roman letter forms, justification: 375 x 265 mm. Numerous large initials in red, blue, green, brown and black, of varied patterns both floral and calligraphic, boldly and skillfully executed, one (f. 31r) enclosing a drawing of a walled city or monastery apparently on a seacoast, labelled "Petrus Paulus Andreas", another (f. 32v) labelled "Mont Claros", a number of the initials (ff. 25v-29r) also including other letters of the alphabet. Parchment index tabs sewn to fore-edges of leaves. (Dampstain to outer edges of first 6 leaves and to top margins of most leaves, the first two quires loosened from sewing, occasional smudges or stains.) Contemporary diced leather over heavy wooden boards, decorated with a pattern of semi-circular and angular lines ruled in ink, evidence of two clasps and four cornerpiece bosses (some abrasion, especially to back cover, losses to head and tail of spine, early repairs to insides of boards now loose inside back cover, without the bosses and clasps). This manuscript offers a fascinating example of how medieval forms of bookmaking continued to be employed far beyond the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula. The artificial character of the script, the quality of the floral initials, and the failure to observe the medieval custom of ordering the parchment leaves so that hair sides face hair sides and flesh sides flesh suggest that this book was a late production.