A lovely original leaf from a medieval manuscript pocket Bible, written in Paris c. 1240-50. In Latin gothic micro-minuscule script, ruled in red and written in brown ink in two columns of 44 lines on animal vellum. (150x100 mm).
Rubricated chapter numbers, two multi-lined illuminated Lombard style initials &elegant marginalia red & blue. The gothic text is written in extremely tiny & very well formed letters, so small that there are twelve lines of text to the inch! The back (verso) contains two scribal omissions added in the margins – the omissions are surrounded by a red box indicating that the ''transcription had been systematically checked for accuracy'' (De Hamel, Scribes and Illuminators, p. 43).
This leaf begins John 12:13 - 14:6: ''Acceperunt…'' (Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him and cried Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel...He that believeth in me, doth not believe in me, but in him that sent me...I am come a light into the world; that whosoever believeth in me, may not remain in darkness...Amen I say to you, one of you shall betray me...A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another...In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you...).
The book from which this leaf came was a very high-quality production, scribed in the Johannes Grusch Workshop in Paris. Calligraphy is excellent, & the vellum is of the finest style, extremely thin & very white. Other leaves from this same book were exhibited in the Jeanne Blackburn Collection, Cleveland Art Museum (pl. 7 & 8).
This leaf is from a ''portable'' Bible of the Crusades period & would have been used in abstract study of theology or preaching of the Gospel around medieval countryside.
Shipped in archival 14x11'' mat.
