AN EARLY VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAF WITH A FINE, LARGE "PUZZLE" INITIAL, FROM NOTED MISSAL IN LATIN.

TEXT FROM THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION.

(14th century). 330 x 222 mm (13 x 8 3/4"). Double column, 30 lines of text in a gothic book hand, along with several half lines of early neumes.

Rubrics in red, large capitals painted in red or blue. WITH A LARGE (approximately 50 x 65 mm.) AND VERY HANDSOME "PUZZLE" INITIAL IN RED AND BLUE WITH VERY ELABORATE PENWORK INFILL as well as intricate marginal extension up the middle margin the entire length of the leaf AND WITH AN ESPECIALLY CHARMING INITIAL IN BLACK AND RED INCORPORATING A BISHOP'S ELONGATED HEAD. Recovered from a binding and, consequently, considerably soiled, one marginal stain, some of the text and music a bit faded (everything legible, though sometimes with effort), a series of small slits in center bottom of the leaf, affecting about five letters, but fine initial very well preserved, and the leaf with extremely ample margins.

This noted missal leaf contains, first, the Mass for the Vigil of the Ascension, followed by the Mass for the feast itself and the "Viri Galilei" which begins with the puzzle initial and starts the introit of the Mass. We see on this leaf the kind of "Hufnagel" notation described in item #398, above. (ST11325g)