Modern foliation in pencil, 1-417, sometimes corrected (e.g. f. 304r). A second modern foliation appears intermittently in the bottom right corner, and sometimes in the bottom left corner of the verso (e.g. 147r), incorrect from f. 370r ff.
Possible quire signature (‘19’) on quire 16 (f. 200v).
Catchwords on quires 25 and 28.
Condition
Textblock
Numerous worm holes on the first few folios, and some on the last few, though not affecting the text. Occasional holes, stains and smudging (e.g. f. 123v). The text affected by poorly prepared ink flaking away in several places (e.g. ff. 18v–19r, ff. 43v–44r, f. 299r). f. 321 and f. 327 each have a cut in the outer margin.
(LCI)
Top left corner: National Library book label with the current signum; centre of page, book plate with the motto ‘Nec temere nec timide’ and a coat of arms; bottom right corner, in ink by a modern hand: the year of and accession number: ‘1945/34’.
(f. SR2r)
Top left corner, in ink by a modern hand over 3 lines: ‘uq.x.z Pickering 1849’.
Textblock
(f. 3v)
Bottom of page, in ink by a contemporary hand: ‘opus secundum ferialiter et requie⟨uit⟩ die viio
’.
(ff. 4v–399r)
Marginal notations in ink by a contemporary hand - possibly more than one - marking the beginning (‘lec’, ‘proph’, ‘cant’, ‘ew’) and end (‘f’) of various readings and canticles.
(ff. 20v–22r)
(Exodus) Roman numerals i-x at intervals in the margin.
(ff. 62r–400v)
Marginal corrections in different contemporary hands.
(ff. 86v–91v)
Additions/corrections of chapter numbers in ink by a contemporary hand.
(f. 200va)
Below Ps. 150, in ink in a contemporary hand: a list of incipits and biblical references to the major canticles, ‘Cantica Confitebor tibi ysaias 12 a Ego dixi in dimidio [...]benedicite omia opera danielis 3 d’.
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in black and brown ink; rubrics in red; letters of chapter numbers alternating in blue and red; letters of running titles alternating in blue and red sometimes with a small flourish in the contrasting colour. For further discussion of the decoration, see Lindqvist Sandgren.
The Bible is decorated by a large number of historiated, foliated and pen-flourished initials in polychrome and gold, sometimes with marginal decorations. (For loci, see Contents.) The marginal stems end in split acanthus leaves and occasionally contain dragons in blue and bright ochre hues (f. 71r, f. 79r, f. 147v, f. 161r, f. 168v, f. 329v, f. 347r). The historiated letters are in three sizes. Three larger historiated initials (17 lines or full-page height) open new sections and about 70 smaller foliated initials (4-12 lines) head the beginnings of new bible books. Four apostle initials in the New Testament are a little larger than the other historiated initials (f. 298v, f. 299r, f. 391r, f. 395v). Some of these figures are isolated rather than painted in framed scenes. The foliated letters occur mainly in the Psalter and are of the same style as the historiated ones. The painting is dominated by dark blue, black, ochre, red, brown, white and gold. The backgrounds of the historiated letters are diapered or decorated; some are plain black. The figures are rich in detail. The flesh has a grey-greenish hue and the hair is often reddish brown or light blue.
There is a large number of pen-flourished letters in red and blue throughout the manuscript furnished with monochrome contrasting blue or red marginal stems of parallel straight lines with curls in the ends forming leaves.
Gilt edges.
Binding
Modern binding. Brown leather over cardboard. 4 double raised bands, 2 raised bands, and endbands. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘BIBLIA SACRA’; below, stamped in gold: ‘MS CENT XIII’.
Early provenance unknown. Neither the motto on LCI (‘Nec temere nec timide’) nor the coat of arms have been identified. According to a former librarian's note, the manuscript was owned by Dr O. Schmidt before passing into the possession of the Adlercreutz family.
