Beschreibung:

Substantial fragment from two Missals, in Latin, decorated manuscript on parchment [Italy, c. 1400 and fifteenth century] Two volumes: (i) 17 leaves, each with double column of 29 lines in two sizes of a rounded formal gothic bookhand, some penwork cadels, capitals touched in yellow wash, contemporary brown penwork folio numbers in upper corner (cii, cxlii-cxlvii, cxxiii, cxxvi, cxxviiii-cxxxii, cxxxiiii, cxxxvi, cxxxviii-cxxxviiii), red rubrics, initials in red or blue encased in contrasting penwork, music in square notation arranged around a red clef line, small spots but overall good condition, 340 by 250mm.; (ii) 13 leaves, each leaf with double column of 31 lines in script similar to that in previous, capitals, initials and music as before, contemporary foliation in red at head of each recto (xxxiii, cxxix-cxxxiiii, cxxxviii-cxxxxiii), several leaves with additional text added in lower margins, two leaves with damage to lower margin, leaves darkened in places, 360 by 252mm.; both volumes bound in early twentieth-century marbled pasteboards with parchment spine and corners, both with pen titles Messebog, with notes on contents by Niels Stenfeldt dated 1924 pasted to first endleaves From the collection of Sigurd Wandel (1875-1947), Danish painter and later professor of the Danish Royal Academy of Arts: his ex libris in each volume; sold in the auction of his library, Copenhagen, 6 February 1923, lot 180; then reappearing in English book trade (pencil marks to one endleaf) and Sothebys, 6 December 2001, lot 4, and then by descent.