Beschreibung:

LUTHERAN PRAYERBOOK OF COUNTESS DOROTHEA VON MANSFELD, in German, illuminated by SEBASTIAN GLOCKENDON, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
LUTHERAN PRAYERBOOK OF COUNTESS DOROTHEA VON MANSFELD, in German, illuminated by SEBASTIAN GLOCKENDON, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Nuremberg], 1551205 x 150mm. i + 128 leaves: 1-2 4 , 3 6 , 4-18 4 , 19 5 (of 4 + i) 20-24 4 , 25 3 (of 2 +i), 26-31 4 , 32 2 , COMPLETE, 21 lines written in black ink, faded to brown on some leaves, in a Fraktur hand between two verticals and 22 horizontals ruled in blind, justification: 152 x 102mm, rubrics in red, one- and two-line initials in liquid gold on modelled grounds of blue, red or green, patterned in liquid gold, one large initial with partial border of acanthus, flower stems and a dragonfly, one large initial of beaked staves with partial border of flowers, fruit and a bird, THIRTY LARGE MINIATURES IN RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURAL FRAMES (some smudging to text and miniature f.1, scratch to miniature f.21, tear to margin f.46, wear to margins, cropped into borders and some cadels, lower margins made up ff.63, 66, 75). Late 18th-century German red morocco gilt, spine in six compartments gilt, gilt edges, gold floral endpapers (slight rubbing to extremities). Red solander box. THE ONLY KNOWN WORK BY SEBASTIAN GLOCKENDON PROVENANCE: 1. Gräfin Dorothea von Mansfeld (1493-1578), daughter of Graf Philipp zu Solms and from 1521 the second wife of Graf Ernst II von Mansfeld-Vorderort (1479-1535): shields of Mansfeld (dexter) and Solms on f.2; the countess may be depicted on f.114. Famed for her piety and skills as a herbalist, she spent her long widowhood chiefly at Schloss Heldrungen, where she cultivated a notable herb garden from which she supplied Martin Luther with medicines. Luther grew up in Mansfeld and the Countess's branch of the family was among his early supporters. It has been suggested that the book was made for one of Dorothea's daughters (Saur, Allgemeines Künstlerlexicon , vol 41, 2007, p.192) but they had all died by May 1550. The scribe signed and dated his work JB 1551 in his elegant Fraktur hand, f.128. 2. Magnus Haetiger(?): faded 18th-century signature on f.1. 3. Dr Sali Guggenheim, Zurich: sale Christie's, 28 June 1995, lot 26. CONTENT: 'Betbüchlein Viler schönen Andechtigen gebet durch einen Gelehrten auss heyligher Göttlicher Schrift zusammen getragen' f.1; Calendar ff.3-8v; prayers, opening with 'Ein offne Beicht', and including prayers for different times of day, for the dying, ff.9-18v; the Apostle's Creed with prayers, ff.20-22v; 'Ein kurze ausslegung der zehen gebot in form eins gebets gestalt die mag man an stat einer Predig lessen und fürnemen', on the Ten Commandments, followed by prayers and Psalms 130 and 51, ff.23v-47v; prayers for the mass, ff.47v-50; 'Das Vater Unser', the Lord's Prayer, interspersed with prayers, ff.50v-59; the Ave Maria , as shortened and translated by Luther, and prayers, ff.59-63, 'Bekantnis des Glaubens', the Nicene Creed, ff.63-64; prayers on the sufferings of Christ, ff.64-67; prayers for the mass and the Church, ff.67-74v; to the Trinity, Christ, on the sacrament, including the consecration, kyrie etc, ff.75-100; 'Collect und gebet wider den Türken', against the Turks, in other times of difficulty, ff.100-104; the Eight Verses of St Bernard, guide to other psalms, prayer to be inscribed on the heart with golden letters, 'mit gulden buchstaben ins herz zuschreiben', ff.104-107v; the Magnificat, the Salve addressed to Christ, Psalm 130, prayer to God, ff.108-110v; prayers to the three Persons of the Trinity, ff.111-115; prayers of Solomon, on rising etc, ff.115-122; Athanasian Creed, ff.122-124v; Te deum , the last of Luther's creeds, and prayers, ending with Job I 21, ff.124v-128. Presumably copied from Vil schöner andechtiger Gebet durch einen Gelerten aus Göttlicher heyliger Schrift zusammen getragen , printed in Nuremberg in 1550 (see P. Althaus, Zur Karacheristik der evangelischen Gebetsliteratur im Reformationsjahrhundert , 1914, p.40), the structuring around the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and the four creeds is