Original leaf from a medieval manuscript folio Bible with with illuminations from an artist identified by Robert Branner (Manuscript painting in Paris During the Reign of Saint Louis) as a member of the “Main-line of the Sainte-Chapelle Group”
Latin gothic script, hand-written in brown ink, on animal vellum. Rubricated chapter numbers, initials and marginalia in red and blue. 50 & 51 lines of text in double columns.(290x193mm)
France: Paris, c. 1247.
Formerly owned by the Royal Abbey of St. Genevieve in Paris.
The large size of the page is unusual in 13th century Bible production!
One eight-line illuminated initial – inhabited with a creature whose lion-like head appears in the upper right of the initial with its jaw open as if announcing the opening of the Book of Esdras with a mighty roar. It is in colors of pink with white tracery & an interior of burnished gold, pink, blue & orange – sitting on a square ground of blue & gold with white tracery; extender flows into the center margin in colors of blue, pink, orange & gold with fine white tracery.
Two two-line initials alternating in red with blue pen-work, & blue with red pen-work, extending into the margin.
This leaf contains text from II Paralipomenon (II Chronicles) 35:3 – 36:23: ''ministrate domino…'' (minister now to the Lord your God, and to his people Israel…). Chapter 37 is the Prayer of Manasseh: "Domine..." (Lord Almighty...). The large illuminated initial begins the Prologue to the Book of Esdras (Ezra).
The large illuminated initial begins the Prologue to the Book of Esdras (Ezra).
Shipped in archival 16x12'' mat.
