AN ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAF FROM AN EXTREMELY LARGE ANTIPHONAL IN LATIN.

TEXT FROM THE FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS.

(1400). 530 x 375 mm (20 7/8 x 14 3/4"). Six four-line staves of music with text beneath in an extremely pleasing rounded gothic hand.

With rubrics in red, one large initial in red with purple penwork, and ONE PROMINENT AND HANDSOME ILLUMINATED "H" in magenta with white tracery, the initial embellished with green and blue foliage and with white, red, and yellow highlighting, the inner space of the letter painted in blue with white star-dots, and the whole on a burnished gold ground (the capital measuring approximately 69 x 64 mm.). Overall slight yellowing to the side with the illuminated letter, one harmless puncture off to the side, small losses to the initial's gold ground, otherwise in excellent condition.

This leaf seems to be from an antiphonal. The attractive illuminated initial opens the first antiphon for Lauds and the Diurnal Hours of the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December): "Herodes iratus occidit multos pueros in Bethleham Iudae civitate David" ("Enraged, Herod put to death many male children of Judaea in Bethlehem, the city of David"). (ST11221b)