Psalter (Gallican)

Italy, Naples, 15th century

Parchment

iii, 180, i' leaves

245 × 165 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1r–168r) Psalms

Note:

Psalms 1-150. The following psalms are given emphasis by an illumination and/or a rubric in gold: 1, 26, 38, 52, 68, 80, 97, 109, 121, 126, 137, 143. The rubric to several of the psalms also contain information about which liturgical hour the psalm belongs to, e.g. Psalm 121 on f. 146v: ‘feria tertia Ad Vesperas’.

f. 42v: blank.

2 (ff. 168r–179v) Canticles

Note:

f. 168r: Canticle of Isaias (Isa. 12);

f. 168v: Canticle of Ezechias (Isa. 38:10-20);

f. 169v: Canticle of Anna (1 Kings 2:1-10);

f. 170v: Canticle of Moses (Exod. 15:1-19);

f. 172r: Canticle of Habacuc (Hab. 3:2-19);

f. 173v: Canticle of Moses (Deut. 32:1;

f. 177r: Canticle of the Three Children (Dan. 3:57-88);

f. 178r: Canticle of Zachary / Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79);

f. 179r: Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

f. 180: ruled, but no text.

Physical Description

Secundo folio

Quare fremuerunt gentes

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: RCI, f. SL1, SR1, RCI

Support: Paper

Locus: SL2–SL3

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 245 × 165 mm

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1–180

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 245 × 165 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil.

Collation

Formula: 1-18(10)

Note: VisColl collation.

Catchwords: Catchword partially visible on f. 50v, the rest lost due to trimming.

Condition

Textblock

Parchment stained in places. The hair side of the parchment is noticeably darker and rougher than the flesh side. On some leaves, e.g. ff. 65v–66r, this almost looks like a defect.

Layout

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 19

Written area: 140 × 85 mm

Note: Blind ruling.

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

Humanist minuscule.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Top left corner: National Library book label with current signum; in ink by a modern hand: ‘Inköpt till Kongl. Bibliotheket i Maj 1759 från Sekreteraren Witte för 200 dlr. Beskrifven af Hammarsköld i Lyceum, 1811, andra häftet.’; centre page: National library stamp.

(f. SL1r) Centre page: National Library stamp.

(f. SL2r) Five parchment notes attached to the inner edge of the leaf. Two of them contain text, which is illegible due to damage. Possibly former spine liners.

(f. SL3v) Top of page, in pencil by a modern hand: ‘Vapnet liknar det som brukas av ätten deRossi i Verona (och Parma)’.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in black ink, rubrics in red or gold, capitals in blue, red or gold with flourishing in contrasting colours.

Miniature:

The Psalter is richly decorated. It opens with an elaborate border, a miniature and decorated initial. It contains 10 more miniatures paired with decorated initials.

f. 1r: The marginal decoration consists of a rinceau enclosed by knot works in blue and some green, and golden inner and outer frame. The rinceau is filled by thin sprays with golden dots, together with acanthus in blue, purple, rose and green. In the lower margin (bas-de-page) two winged putti are seated on an elaborate podium, holding a coat of arms, which consists of a raised lion on a red shield. Two more putti are depicted as running away towards the sides.

The right border is furnished with a high podium crowned by an urn filled with fruits. The podium features lion feet, 2 female faces in profile, an angel head, acanthus. Some yellow fruits hang down in a ribbon under the podium. Above the fruit bowl a larger putto raises his hand.

The artist uses the same kind of landscape setting, aerial perspective and colours in all scenes. The garments are rendered with straight broken folds. Shading is done by modelling the colours. Sometimes there is a darker shade under the figures. The halo on David is in leaf gold. There is no use of golden or white high lights. The figure style and the landscape belong to the first part of the 15th century Italy.

f. 1r: David with harp;

f. 26v: David pointing to his eye;

f. 43r: David pointing to his mouth;

f. 58v: David pointing at idolaters (Amalekites);

f. 74r: David repentant in the water;

f. 110v: Harp playing David and a group of men;

f. 128v: Trinity;

f. 146v: David discuss with a group of men;

f. 149r: David outside Jerusalem;

f. 151v: God speaks to David;

f. 156r: David kneeling;

f. 162r: David and Goliath.

Initials:

ff. 1r–179r: decorated initials over 2-4 lines.

The letters are in leaf gold and placed on quadrangular fields. The gold is outlined by thin black lines or lighter hues to create depth, and the painted areas in and around the letters are decorated by thin white curling ornaments. The colours are blue, red and green.

Binding

Description:

Modern binding. Green velvet over wooden boards. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘A 231’.

Binding dimensions: 250 × 175 × 45 mm

Contemporary: No

History

Origin

Italy, Naples, 15th century . The origin and dating is based on art historical criteria, see Samek (1966), no. 64.

Provenance

Early provenance unknown. Earlier librarians have speculated about the original owner based on the coat of arms on f. 1r, and suggest the families de Rossi in Verona, Baldovinetti in Florence, or Leonardi in Milan. The manuscript has been in Sweden since at least the 18th century when it seems to have belonged to a certain ‘sekreterare Witte ’(perhaps Carl Ulrik Witte, registered in the National Archives as secretary during this period).