Case 9
Single leaf from a Bible, in Latin. England (perhaps East Anglia), mid-fourteenth century. Reed MSF13a.
The decoration of the initial in this leaf differs from that of MSF15, which contains red or blue penwork on a raw vellum background. MSF13a contains large 2-line initials in burnished gold on blue and pink grounds with white tracery. The flourishes up into the margins have now become a series of painted leafy marginal extensions.
This leaf originally formed part of a large four-volume lectern Bible used either in a church or, more probably, a monastery. The text is from Proverbs 9:13-10:24.
Single leaf from a Bible, in Latin. England (perhaps East Anglia), mid-fourteenth century. Reed MSF13a.
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Single leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin. France (Paris), late fifteenth century. Reed MSF33.
Gradually, marginal flourishes extending out from the decorated initial developed into fully decorated borders and became separated from the initials. The borders may extend around all the margins of the page or fill just one margin as in MSF33. The borders of French manuscripts regularly incorporate geometric designs with vines, flowers and fruit. The colouring, details and patterns vary from page to page, but the same basic elements will be used consistently throughout the entire manuscript.
The text is part of Matins for the Office of the Dead.
Single leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin. France (Paris), late fifteenth century. Reed MSF33.
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Bifolium from a Book of Hours, in Latin. France (Paris), 1408. Reed MSF17a.
Decorated borders can be extremely elaborate, as in MSF17a, in which the tortuous leafy vines in gold and the darker autumn colours are reminiscent of the crown of thorns of Christ. The gold leafing of this design would have taken considerable time and patience.
Few Books of Hours survive with exact dates, especially from the early fifteenth century. This bifolium is from a dispersed 187-leaf manuscript dated 1408 on the final leaf. The manuscript was damaged in floods in London in 1846, traces of which damage are visible on these leaves.
The text if part of Lauds in the Office of the Dead.
