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Fragment of an antiphonary page with illuminated initial, parchment, Europe, 15th century

Name: Fragment of an antiphonary page with illuminated initial, parchment, Europe, 15th century
SKU: 700437
Availability: OutOfStock

4100,00 zł

The fragment of the page visible within the frame is entirely occupied by a historiated initial “O”. The figural scene within depicts a haloed youth dressed in secular attire giving alms to an old beggar supported by crutches. He is accompanied by a young woman and an older man, with urban architecture visible in the background.

The reverse side features a fragment of Latin liturgical text written in Gothic minuscule and musical notation using square neumes (predecessors of notes used in medieval Europe) on a four-line staff, characteristic of Gregorian chant. The presence of the formula “Euouae” (a notation of vowels from the phrase saeculorum Amen), typical of psalm endings in antiphonal arrangement, allows identification of the notation as a fragment of an antiphon. The page also features a decorative initial “O” beginning a new antiphon.

The page is framed in a 19th-century gilded frame with a gently curved upper edge.

An object of extraordinary aesthetic and collectible value. A great rarity on the market!

Sprzedane

SKU: 700437 Categories: Painting, Sacred arts

Description
Additional information

Description

The depiction of a youth in courtly dress distributing money to a pauper, in the presence of a young woman and an older man, may reference the iconography of St. Alexius. In his legend, Alexius, son of a wealthy Roman patrician, leaves his family home immediately after marriage, having first distributed his wealth to the poor. In this interpretation, the young woman could be understood as his wife, and the older man as his father. However, the absence of definitive attributes does not allow for certain identification of this figure.

In medieval antiphonaries, historiated initials often illustrated a moral idea, referring generally to the meaning of the text. In this interpretation, the scene could constitute a universal representation of caritas, rather than referring to a specific saint's story.

Additional information

Weight	1,2 kg
Dimensions	20 × 18 cm
Type	Page from an antiphonary
Form	Framed liturgical manuscript page
Kolorystyka	Blue , Gold , Gray , Green , Red
Technika	Gilding , Tempera on parchment
Czas powstania	15th century
Era	The Middle Ages
Kraj pochodzenia	Europe
State of preservation	Very good; only microcracks in the paint layer typical of age

Fragment of an antiphonary page with illuminated initial, parchment, Europe, 15th century

In medieval antiphonaries, historiated initials often illustrated a moral idea, referring generally to the meaning of the text. In this interpretation, the scene could constitute a universal representation of caritas, rather than referring to a specific saint's story.

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Fragment of an antiphonary page with illuminated initial, parchment, Europe, 15th century

In medieval antiphonaries, historiated initials often illustrated a moral idea, referring generally to the meaning of the text. In this interpretation, the scene could constitute a universal representation of caritas, rather than referring to a specific saint's story.

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