Beschreibung:

Liturgical music - miniatures] - Graduale , [France, c. 1490-1510]. Latin manucript on vellum, c. 63 x 43 cm, writing area c. 43,5 x 29 cm, [1]-174 (= 175)-[1] ff. incl. initial and final blank, expertly calligraphed in large gothic script, in red and black ink, with black musical notation on 4 red staves . Sm. tear in one margin.
Apparently unrecorded beautifully written and decorated monumental Early Renaissance Gradual, probably executed for a French monastic institution linked to the royal court. It contains the liturgical music (f. xcviij verso: “si plura gradualia ca(n)tata fueri(n)t”) for the period Advent-Lent (Pars hiemalis). Decoration : in French Renaissance style, clearly imitating the dominant Flemish border decoration, with 12 splendid richly detailed nicely drawn large miniatures (c. 17 x 16,5 cm !) painted within very large initials , and 171 large (8 x 7,5 cm) and 47 smaller painted initials. The miniatures , with exquisite interiors, shadowy parts and detailed objects, present: - "A" (f. ‘i’ r°): spiritual and secular leaders, incl. the Pope, a cardinal and a bishop facing the Emperor, the French king (dressed in blue with fleur-de-lis), a prince and 2 councillors. - "P" (f. ‘v’ v°): the Resurrection of the Dead at the Last Judgment - "G" (f. ‘x’ r°): John the Baptist explaining his mission to the clergy - "R" (f. 'xxxix’ r°): John the Baptist preaching - "D" (f. ‘xlij’ r°): the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple - "I" (f. 'xlviii’ r°): Christ among the Doctors - "O" (f. 'liiij’ r°): the Wedding at Cana - "A" (f. 'lxj’ r°): Jesus healing the Centurion’s servant - "C" (f. 'lxvj’ r°): Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard - "E" (f. ‘lxxiiij’ v°): Parable of the Growing Seed - "E" (f. ‘lxxxj’ r°): Jesus healing the blind man of Bethsaida - "I" (f. ‘cvii’ r°): the Temptation of Christ The border decoration on a gold background (but for ff. 'xxx' and 'xxx', which have a blue background referring to the blue dress of the French king and Renaissance columns with delphins referring to the " dauphin ") shows flowers, various kinds of fruit (i.a. cherries and strawberries), birds (peacock, owl, pigeons) and insects (caterpillars, bugs). The 171 beautiful large initials are painted on a gold background with strokes (often somewhat thicker and decorated with a torsade) in blue, grey, black or a soft, slightly violet, pink, with a variety of Renaissance floral motifs. On f. xlijr a banderole with a quotation from Luke 2:35 “et tuam ipsius animam pertransiet gladius — ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes”. Binding : very large cont. embossed calf over wood, c. 65 x 45 cm (formerly and expertly repaired by Dubois d'Enghien), blindstamped covers with sm. square stamps in lozenge-shaped ruled decoration, spine on 10 (!) raised bands, large metal corner pieces lettered "IESVS MARIA", knobs, support at tail, cabochons with fleur-de-lis decoration, clasps on wide (recent) leather tongues, gilt edges. Extraordinarily fresh and well preserved very heavy volume (21 kg !). For more pictures click on the icon below