National Library of Sweden, A 177
Missale Olomucense
Bohemia, Olomouc, 15th century
Paper
i, 255 leaves
260 × 190–195 mm
Latin
Names of the months written both in Latin and Czech.
Notable feasts:
f. 3ra Sts Cyril and Methodius (9 Mar.);
f. 3va St Sigismund (2 May);
St Stanislaus (8 May);
f. 3vb St Vitus (15 June);
f. 4ra St Procopius (4 July);
f. 4va St Ludmilla (16 Sep.);
St Wenceslaus (28 Sep.);
f. 4vb St Cordula (22 Oct.);
f. 5ra Translation of St Ludmilla (10 Nov.);
Quinque fratrum (12 Nov.).
The proper of time continues with the First sunday after Trinity and ends with the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity and a list of exemptions.
The foliator has skipped from f. 138 to f. 140, omitting f. 139, there is no gap in the text.
Collection of 14 votive masses beginning with the mass of the Holy Spirit; on f. 234v 3 votive masses with only an incipit.
Secundo folio
nibus nostris et elementoSupport
Textblock
Watermark 2
ff. 7–78,Foliation
Collation
Condition
Textblock
The paper is dirty and stained, possibly mouldy. Outer margins trimmed with loss of text in the marginal additions. The textblock has been repaired with paper strips in the inner margin and on ff. 252–253 all four margins; a hole caused by fire damage on ff. 178–186 has been repaired with paper on ff. 180–186 with some loss of text.Script
Textblock
Hand 1
Gothic cursive.Additions
Binding/Endleaves
Textblock
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in black ink, capitals touched in red, rubrics in red.
f. 14r: plain initial ‘P’ over 7 lines in red.
f. 85v: plain initial ‘R’ over 6 lines in red with flourishing, enclosed space in yellow.
f. 98r: puzzle initial ‘V’ over 4 lines, outlined in dark ink, couloured red and brown.
f. 103r: plain initial ‘S’ over 4 lines (extending below the line) in red with flourishing, counter space in yellow.
f. 109v: plain initial ‘B’ over 5 lines, outlined in black ink, touched in red and flourished in red.
f. 118r: ‘T’ over 7 lines, unfinished, outlined in ink.
f. 170v: space reserved for initial.
ff. 1r–253v: plain initials over 1-4 lines in red. Sometimes the enclosed space is filled with a yellow-brown colour.
f. 117v: Crucifixion. Full page miniature with a thin red frame. Christ on the cross with Mary on the left side and St John on the right side. Plain green background. No ground. Wood grain clearly depicted on the thick brown cross. Red blood dripping from hands, feet and side wound of the dead Christ. Mary dressed in blue gown and John in brownish with blue and red details. Costumes arranged with rich drapery. Emphasized contrapposto postures with tilted heads. Details on Christ highlighted by white washes (ribs, loin cloth, legs). Water colours.
Binding
Post-medieval binding, possibly 16th or 17th century. Redish-brown leather over wooden boards. The boards have beveled edges. 5 pairs of raised bands and endbands Metal catch plates on LCO and one remaining piece of plate on RCO. LCO, blind stamped: ‘Missale olomucensis (!) ’. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘A 177’.
Elaborate tooling in the shape of frames filled with geometric and foliate ornaments. The tooling seems to have been gilded, but only traces remain. A medalion in the middle of LCO, but the motif is no longer visible. On RCO the frames also contain small medalions with human faces.
Origin
Acquisition
The manuscript was most likely taken from Olomouc and brought to Sweden as spoils of war during the Thirty Years’ War. It is believed to be the manuscript listed as ‘Missale Charta’ in Vossius’s catalogue of 1651 (U 202:1, p. 68). On f. 1r there are three notes glued to the margin. These were orginally attached to the spine. Two of these notes contain signa, the first that of Hammarsköld's catalogue from the 19th century (U 133): ‘e. 30. 5. 2.’; the second the signum from the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e): ‘43? Missale’ (listed in the catalogue as ‘Theol. in fol. 43’). The only signum on the Spine is the current signum ‘A 177’.
