Beschreibung:

The Genesis page from a monumental illuminated Bible with scenes from the Creation and the life of Saint George, with a decorated leaf from an illuminated Digest of Justinian, both in Latin on vellum [Italy (probably Bologna), c.1300] two leaves: (a) Genesis leaf from a Bible, 370mm. by 252mm., with a single initial ‘I’ the full height of the page, 244mm. by 34mm., formed of blue columns dotted with white and gold drops, enclosing sprays of coloured acanthus leaves and 7 roundels with scenes of the days of Creation above a Crucifixion, the whole initial surmounted by a coloured geometric roundel with gold infill, and scrolling branches of foliage enclosing four further roundels (three wanting, vellum repaired with pieces of an eighteenth-century document; the remaining roundel with a crowned king), similar angular foliage with protruding bird-heads in the bas-de-page enclosing three large roundels (each approximately 50mm. in diameter) with scenes from the legend of Saint George: the princess before her father the king as he sends her off to be a sacrifice, the saint spearing the dragon, and the princess before the dragon and a crowd of onlookers, the central roundel supported by saints holding scrolls, text in double column, 40 lines of light brown ink, apparently suffering much flaking on both sides and mostly erased on the recto by a former owner, running titles in red and blue (blue letters on recto also mostly erased), one large red initial with blue penwork tracery extending the height of the entire border on verso, some flaking and small losses through cockling, else good condition, nineteenth- and early twentieth-century marks “6902”, “35.48” and “5724/115” on verso, typed note on the leaf by J.M. Plotzek attached to mount, second half of the thirteenth century; (b) leaf from the Digest of Justinian, with parts of Book 48, 5-line historiated initial ‘U’ (opening the name “Ulpius”) in grey and orange on blue ground, acanthus-leaves growing from edges and golden fruit at corners, enclosing a gesturing man, large initial ‘P’ in pink on blue grounds with geometric infill on gold, top of leaf damaged and wanting, double column, remains of 43 lines of main text, full commentary and extensive gloss, simple red and blue initials, somewhat discoloured and scuffed, areas of gold flaked away, early fourteenth century; both in card mounts