Original leaf from a manuscript Spanish Antiphonal on animal parchment. (560 x 365mm – 22 x 14 3/8’’)
The manuscript text and music (six lines of music on a red five-line stave) were beautifully executed by hand dark brown ink over 400 years ago!!!
Spain, c. 1525 –this leaf is from the Winter Volume (pars hiemalis) which comprised the Offices of Advent, Christmastide and Epiphany.
One illuminated initial in red with violet interior and exterior penwork extending into margin with intricate flourishing; one illuminated blue initial with red interior and exterior penwork.
This leaf continues part of the Office of Advent. The illuminated "O" begins the hymn: "O Emmanuel ..." (O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, the expectation of all nations and their Savior: come and save us, O Lord our God).
The illuminated “N” begins: “Nolite timere…” (Fear not: for on the fifth day, our Lord will come unto you).
These two hymns are part of the Seven Great Antiphons of Advent, also known as the “O Antiphons”. They were sung prior to Christmas, one each day at the Magnificat in Vespers from 17 through 23 December inclusive. Each Antiphon salutes the coming Messiah under one of his many scriptural titles, and closes with a petition. The authorship and dates of composition are unknown, but they are at least as old as the ninth century and probably much older.
As is usual with Medieval and Renaissance parchment, the hair side of the leaf is darker than the flesh side, but may take ink somewhat better. The differences in tone caused scribes to arrange their quires so that the hair side of one sheet faced the hair side of the next, and the flesh side faced the flesh side.
Antiphonals contain chants for the canonical hours of the Divine Office: first vespers or the vigil of great feasts, matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers and compline.
Shipped unmatted
