Leaf from a very large Antiphoner, with large illuminated initial

Leaf from a very large Antiphoner, with large illuminated initial, in Latin, manuscript on vellum, [Italy, fifteenth century], single large leaf, with text in 5 lines of liturgical script, with accompanying music in square notation on a 4-line red stave, a capital with ornately flourished penstrokes, red rubrics, one small blue initial in split bands enclosing and encased in densely packed red penwork, one very large initial ‘I’ (opening “Iam sancte clare claritas ...”, the first antiphon for Vespers for the Feast for St. Clare of Assisi; and over a third of the page in height) in blue, pink, red, green and grey acanthus leaf foliage on split gold and blue grounds with yellow and white hairline strokes overlaid, some small later marginalia showing use of parent-codex through to Early Modern period, offset from patch made from a medieval manuscript cutting once pasted to lower border of verso, darkening to inner vertical border of verso, some crackling and small losses to gold, paint and ink in places, discolouration in places, small spots, holes and stains, overall in fair and presentable condition, 590 x 460mm.

Estimate:£800

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