Beschreibung:

Three initials from illuminated choirbooks and a miniature from a Book of Hours, on vellum [fifteenth to early sixteenth century] four cuttings, comprising: (a) quarter of a leaf from an Antiphoner, 430mm. by 355mm., with a vast initial ‘U’ (most probably opening, “Vidi [tur]bam [magnam quam dinumerare …]”, the antiphon for lauds on the Feast of All Saints), 250mm. by 243mm., in twisting blue foliage curled around a fleshy red core, enclosing intricate geometric patterns and sprays of coloured foliage, on brightly burnished gold ground with sprigs of realistic foliage at corners, remains of 3 lines of text with music on a 4-line red stave, rubrics in red with single capital touched with green, thick vellum, some minor spots and crackling to gold, else excellent condition, Spain, early sixteenth century (bought from H.P. Kraus, New York, in 1978); (b) quarter of a leaf from another Antiphoner, 402mm. by 320mm., with a very large initial ‘D’ (opening , “Da [mercedem] do[mi]ne [susti]nentibus te ut prophete …”, the antiphon for Lauds in the fourth week in Advent), in blue with white penwork and brushwork designs, enclosing foliage and fruit with large strawberries and two bipedal drolleries (one with a bearded human face) with their features heightened with liquid gold strokes, all on terracotta and burnished gold ground with flowers at corners, gold-edged border panel on two sides with acanthus-leaves, other foliage, another drollery and a long-beaked bird, remains of 4 lines of text in angular late gothic bookhand with music on a 4-line red stave, one flower scuffed, else excellent condition, northern France (perhaps Rouen), c.1510; (c) cutting with an initial ‘E’, 135mm. by 135mm., in flesh-pink and red, terminating at corners in swirls of fleshy acanthus-leaves and gold fruit, all on blue heightened with scrolling white penwork and enclosed within a red and orange border, verso with 2 lines of text with music on a 4-line stave and nineteenth-century note recording the artist as “Piero della Ghironda” and the find-place as Gubbio, cut to shape, scuffs to gold and small hole at base, else good, Italy (perhaps Florence), late fifteenth century (from the collection of Ernst Yellin, sculptor in Stuttgart); (d) single leaf from a Book of Hours, 154mm. by 110mm., with a three-quarter page miniature of the Adoration of the Magi, full border of foliage enclosing gold bezants, a peacock, another bird and a helmeted knight’s head emerging from a flower bud, one 3-line initial in blue on gold ground, some flaking and small scuffs, trimmed to edges, else fair, western France (perhaps Brittany), c.1450-60; items (a) to (c) in card mounts, (d) in gilt frame