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, Five 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 one-line illuminated ''A'' begins Psalm 38 (King James 39) 12-14: ''A fortitudine...'' (Thou hast corrected man for iniquity...).
The illuminated ''E'' begins Psalm 39 (KJ 40) complete: ''Expectans...'' (With expectation I have waited for the Lord, & he was attentive to me ...).
The illuminated ''B'' begins Psalm 40 (KJ 41) complete: ''Beatus...'' (Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy & the poor...).
The illuminated ''Q'' begins Psalm 41 (KJ 42) complete: ''Quemadmodum...'' (As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God...).
The illuminated ''I'' begins Psalm 42 (KJ 43) complete: ''Iudica ...'' (Judge me, O God, & distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy...).
The illuminated ''D'' begins Psalm 43 (KJ 44) 1-23: ''Deus...'' (We have heard, O God, with our ears...).
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.
