A Large, Striking, Beautifully Preserved Leaf Hailing the Pure, Meek, and Merciful Virgin as the "Star of the Sea"

WITH TEXT FROM "AVE MARIS STELLA."

A MEDIEVAL ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAF FROM A HYMNAL IN LATIN, WITH A LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL.

(Italy: 15th century). 364 x 260 mm. (14 3/8 x 10 1/4"). Single column, 22 lines, in a rounded gothic book hand.

Rubrics in red, versal initials alternating red and blue with purple penwork, one three-line initial in blue with purple penwork, A SIX-LINE "A" DEPICTING THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN, the initial painted pink with red, green, and blue nodes and acanthus on a burnished gold ground, with extensions running the length of the text column, incorporating more acanthus and small gold embellishments, with sprays of the gold leaves at the top, bottom, and center. A little rubbing to the paint, negligible soiling and small spots to margins, but in excellent condition overall.

This very large, handsomely preserved leaf features a strikingly attractive initial of the Virgin, opening the beloved hymn "Ave Maris Stella" ("Hail Star of the Sea"). Dating back to at least the ninth century and traditionally associated with the hour of Vespers on Marian feast days (as here), the hymn praises the Virgin's purity, meekness, and mercy, calling upon her as the "Nurturing Mother of God" to dispel evil and free us from our sins. Inside the gilt and painted initial is a lovely portrait of the Virgin, who is depicted seated against a red mandorla, dressed in pink and wrapped in a green and blue mantle--perhaps a reference to the colors of the ocean. Her hands are raised in prayer, fingers lightly touching above her heart, and her well-defined features appear both strong and serene. Judging from the size of the initial, liberal use of gold, and the wide margins of this leaf, the original manuscript must have been a costly item produced for a wealthy church or monastery. (ST20973)

Price: $5,500.00