A VELLUM ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT LEAF WITH A THREE-LINE ZOOMORPHIC INITIAL, FROM AN EARLY BIBLE IN LATIN.

TEXT FROM I MACHABEES.

(13th century). 235 x 159 mm (9 1/4 x 6 1/4"). Double column, 51 lines of text in a very neat gothic book hand.

Attractively matted. Rubricated in red, capitals struck with red, headings and chapter numbers in red and blue, VERSO WITH A THREE-LINE "P" in blue and pink accented with gold, ITS CENTER INHABITED BY A SMALL DRAGON, with ribbon-like extensions emanating from the capital and running half the length of the text column. Perhaps half the text slightly faded (but everything perfectly legible), vellum thinned in three small areas, but still in really excellent condition, the vellum clean and bright and the initial's pigment and gold entirely intact.

The first book of Machabees tells of the Judaean revolt against the Greek ruler Antiochus and the restoration and reconsecration of the Temple of Jerusalem. The scribal hand here is thick, with knobby shoulders, but it is extremely regular and perfectly easy to read. The dragon initial features a very pleasing deep blue, several shades darker than the blue used for headlines and chapter numbers. (CBM1004)