The 4 parchment leaves in the beginning and 3 at the end are probably old flyleaves. They are of a much thicker and rougher quality than the leaves of the textblock. The first flyleaf at the end has been foliated f. 610.
Edges trimmed, resulting in partial loss of running titles.
Layout
2
42–46
80 ×
55 mm
Script
Textblock
Hand 1
Textualis.
Additions
Binding/Endleaves
(LCI)
Top left corner, in black ink by a modern hand: ‘A 168’; upper part of page in black ink by a modern hand: ‘Aflemnad från Rikz Arkivet 8 Juni 1883. 609 blad underbart fint pergmanet med underbart fin stil. Bibeltexten upptar 1117 sidor (blad 4v-562) Hieronymi epistola: blad 1-4r. Register: blad 563-609. Nya testementet börjar 452v. Initialer med menniskor och djur = 90 (60 i gamla 30 i nya testam.) Ungefär lika många utan bilder. Flera hundra små endast röda eller blå’. Bottom left corner, in pencil by a modern hand: measurements of the manuscript (smudged).
(f. SL4r)
Centre page, in ink by a modern/early modern hand: ‘Biblia Latine cum prologo S. Hieronymi’.
(f. 610r)
Brown ink by a medieval hand: list of books in the Old testament from Genesis to Job.
(RCI)
Bottom left corner, in ink by a modern hand: ‘S. W: 1954’.
Textblock
(ff. 1r–609v)
Occasional additions with signe-de-renvoi by the scribe, e.g. (f. 6v) and (f. 13v). Occasional marks (nota marks?) and short additions by a later hand in the margins.
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in brown in, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red.
Each indivdual book is introduced by a historiated initial over 5 lines. The initials are outlined in black, painted in a mauve with white highlights. They are placed on a background of blue with black outlines. The enclosed space contains the historiated image related to the Bible book it introduces. Parts of the letter or the background often extend into the margin and may contain animal, knotwork or other geometric shapes, e.g. (f. 43vb) and (f. 175va).
Besides the beginning of each new book the opening prologue also features a historiated initial. The Psalms contain 8 historiated initials;
(f. 4va): opening initial ‘I’, extending along the entire page;
(f. 453ra): Historiated initial ‘L’ over 23 lines introducing the New Testament. The prologues are introduced by decorated initials over 5 lines, which feature animal and vegetative ornaments. The prologue to Proverbs on (f. 276ra) contains the largest and most advanced form of this type of initial.
Individual paragraphs are introduced by plain initials over 2 lines in alternating blue and red with flourishing in the contrasting colour. The initials and their flourishing often extend along the margin to create a border, e.g. (f. 454r).
Fore-edge, in ink: ‘26.28’.
Binding
Later medieval or early modern binding. Dark brown leather over wooden boards. 5 double raised bands and endbands. 2 straps with decorated hooked clasps, decorated studs on catchplates and strap attachments. Spine, Stamped in gold: ‘BIBLIA LATINA’ and ‘A 168’.
125 ×
85 ×
60 mm
Blind tooled decoration consisting of panels and complex knot work. The design appears Italian in origin.
Spine restored with new leather. One strap missing. LCO and RCO, close to the outer edge, one hole above the upper clasp and three holes between the clasp (perhaps attachment points). The clasps and studs are possibly later additions.
France, Paris?, 13th century, middle of. The decoration points to the Soissons atelier (active c. 1230-60) or perhaps the Vie de Saint Denis atelier (active c. 1230-60).
Provenance
Early provenance unknown. In the late 16th century the manuscript belonged to Paul Pétau.
It is believed that the numbers ‘26.28’ on f. SL7v and the Fore-edge refer to the Pétau library.
