Medieval Bible Leaf - Luke - Faith like a mustard seed

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A lovely original leaf from a medieval manuscript pocket Bible, written in Northern France (probably Paris), c. 1260. In Latin gothic micro-minuscule script, ruled in red & written in brown ink in two columns of 43 lines on animal vellum. (156 x 103 mm - 6.2 x 4.1"). 

Rubricated chapter numbers; one multi-lined illuminated Lombard style initial &elegant marginal penwork in red & blue. Calligraphy is excellent, & the vellum is of the finest quality, extremely thin & smooth. The gothic text is written in remarkably tiny (ten lines of text to the inch!) & very well formed letters.

This leaf contains Luke 16:23 – 18:24. The Beginning of Chapter 18 is noted only by Roman numerals in ink in the margin.  ''Elevans…'' (Lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off & Lazarus in his bosom…The Lord said: If you had faith like to a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree, Be thou rooted up, & be thou transplanted into the sea: & it would obey you…Thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed …Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: & whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it. I say to you: There shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken & the other shall be left… Suffer children to come to me, & forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God…).

Provenance: parent book was a ''portable'' Bible of the Crusades period, used in study of theology or preaching of the Gospel. It was in England by 17th cent; ex coll. Lord Saltoun & later in the collection of Wm Foyle (1885-1963) at Beeligh Abbey.

The bible containing this leaf was very high-quality, illuminated in Paris & similar to work associated by Branner with the Dominican Painter (see R. Branner, Manuscript Painting in Paris during the Reign of Saint Louis).      

Shipped in archival 14x11'' mat.       

  • Inventory# IM-7380
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