15th century.
Very large antiphonary, 129 ff. handwritten on vellum. Contemporary binding of pigskin over massive wooden boards, blind-stamped with a roll-tool of a lozenge pattern within a frame, heavy metal cornerpieces, five large metal bosses on each cover with elaborate pierced surrounds, nails, remnants of clasps, contemporary bookmarker. Contemporary binding.
Dimensions of the binding: 88 x 66 cm. Thickness: 23 cm.
A magnificent manuscript on vellum remarkably tall and preserved in its original binding. It belongs to an antiphonary in several volumes that comes from the South of Spain. It contains the antiphons to be sung for the prayers for the Dead. Such books were often of a large format, to be used by a choir. Each folio shows 5 four-line staves separated by a space for the text to sing.
The ornamentation of the manuscript consists of 203 superb calligraphic initials or decorated capitals high as a stave, with watermarked decorations. The initials are red, blue, black… some of them are polychrome.
A very large Antiphonary, one of the largest known still in private hands, preserved in its original binding made of massive wooden boards covered with blind-stamped pigskin, with remnants of ties and clasps, bosses, brass fittings and nails in the centre and in the corners.
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