ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT - A fine illuminated manuscript on a single bifolium vellum leaf extracted from a prayer book, with exceptional decorative coloured borders heightened in gold, [?]mid- to late-15th-century, probably northern France, 210 x 285mm.

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT - A fine illuminated manuscript on a single bifolium vellum leaf extracted from a prayer book, with exceptional decorative coloured borders heightened in gold, [?]mid- to late-15th-century, probably northern France, 210 x 285mm.

Starting bid£280
Estimate £300 - £500
Absentee deadlineDec 3, 2025, 5:00:00 PM

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT - A fine illuminated manuscript on a single bifolium vellum leaf extracted from a prayer book or missal, incorporating four pages including prayers for the Feast Days of Saints Elizabeth and Anne, in a "Bâtarde" script [see note], twenty lines to a page, with nine initials of varying sizes and exceptionally fine wide coloured decorative borders heightened in gold, [?]mid- to late-15th-century, probably northern France or Flemish/Burgundian, overall dimensions of leaf 210 x 285mm. "['Bâtarde'] represents the highest grade of cursive script, with the greatest influence from textualis, to be found on the continent. A similar English grade is Malcolm Parkes's Bastard Anglicana (Julian Brown's cursiva anglicana formata hybrida). Its particular association with the patronage of the Burgundian court has led to the alternative nomenclature bourguignonne. Note the scrubbed Secretary tall 's' and secretary 'g' and the right-facing serif to the head of 'd'. Note also the absence of loops. The overall affect is extremely calligraphic with some retention of the 'prickly' appearance of Secretary coupled with the set formality and regularity of textualis. It was extremely popular for use in de luxe manuscripts of s. xv-s. xvi." (from Michelle P. Brown's "Guide to Western Historical Scripts from Antiquity to 1600" (1993). The chief glory of this manuscript, however, are the exquisite and naturalistic decorations to the wide outer side-borders of each of the four 'pages' on the leaf which feature highly coloured fruit, flowers and birds (possibly pheasants) incorporated into an interlacing foliate design, set off against a base of bright liquid gold, to which our photography can hardly do justice. The condition of the leaf is exceptionally fine. We are very grateful to Murray Chesney-Stroak for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.