TITLE
"Antiphonarium officiorum de tempore de Sanctis secundum consuetudinem Ordinis Fratrum Minorum S. Francisci."
ORIGIN
Lower Rhine, around 1450.
DESCRIPTION
Here you can see two attractive, fully preserved and large-sized choir books of the Franciscan order. Unbelievable but true: these are originals!
The manuscript comprises a total of 444 large-format leaves, written on vellum, bound in two original, massive German calfskin volumes.
Both volumes together contain the choral chants for the entire church year with the corresponding melodies and lyrics. In each of the inner front covers is a later (17th century) handwritten index of all the songs. These relate to the Uffizi to the saints of the Franciscan Order like Francis, Clara, Anthony of Padua, Bonaventure, Bernard and Louis of Toulouse and others.
We do not like to bore you with usual inflationary statements such as "super-rare" or "mega-rare", but such complete and well-preserved choir books from Germany are not to find on the global art market no more. They represent a unique historical heritage that hopefully gets into responsible hands and thus also preserved in a digital time in which the spoken and handwritten word does not apply.
WHAT IS AN ANTIPHONARY?
An Antiphonary, or Antiphonal, is a liturgical book for the hourly prayers of the Roman Catholic Church. It contains the melodies and lyrics of all choral singing of the Divine. The often large-format Antiphonaries were placed in the churches on this specially prepared, mighty stands. In this way, this liturgy served all choristers as a template, once texts or tunes in the spirit were not ready immediately.
ILLUSTRATION
- Each nine lines of text and nine note lines.
- Carefully handwritten Textura in Black and Red.
- Black medieval “Hufnagel”- notation on four red lines.
- Five wonderful illustrated, large initials in red and blue (12x12cm) with richly decorated, large
border (about 35 cm).
- Thousands large, painted initials in red, blue or black.
- Later handwritten pagination on the right margin, partially wrong)
- Sizes of leaves: 48.4 x 34.0 cm.
- Text area: 38.0 x 23.0 cm.
COLLATION
A total of 444 handwritten vellum leaves and 18 (of 22) leaves later attachments.
Volume I: Easter songs and chants from March to November: 218 leaves (1-218).
Volume II: Advent hymns and chants from November to March: 226 leaves (1-109, 200-209, 300-358). According to the text wrapping missing not a leaf, but only erroneous paginated ("...tur ministeri um nos-tru…“ und „… et lapis iste que e - rexi titulu vocabitur domus…“); 360-367; 369-408; (359 erroneous rear of 358 and 368 counted omitted - exact text wrapping 367 to 368: "... Spe - dictio ..."; "Annuncatio BV", specified in the register, ends on page 408. Thus, in Volume II = 226 leaves.
18 later leaves annexes on parchment and paper: Leaves 409-430 (leaves 410 and 413 are missing).
BINDINGS
- Two original, masterful German bindings.
- Blind stamped calf leather over mighty wooden boards.
- Rectangular and diagonal string iron lines.
- In the fields and frames typical Gothic, ornamental embossing (blossom, lily, Banner "Maria").
- Seven double compartments.
- Six (of 16) corner fittings of brass.
- Two (of four) pierced and chased Gothic clasps.
- Centre fittings removed.
- Original “Blattweiser” mostly well preserved.
- Remains of a contemporary, handwritten title tag on one of the front covers.
- In good, original condition with small defects.
- Binding and book block solid and stable.
- Cover leather bumped, on the back covers stronger.
- One of the rear cover with large old leather defects.
- Joints and hinges rubbed and with leather defects.
- Royal-Folio: 52.5 x 35.0 x 21.5 cm (HxWxT).
- Weight: about 24 kg.
CONDITION
- Very good and genuine condition.
- Parchment partially browned and wavy (due to the material).
- Lower margins partially finger stained, but otherwise clean.
- Wide margins.
- Parchment and script slightly rubbed.
- Some material-related parchment errors or holes.
- Some few leaves with later corrected notes or texts and glued paper.
- Some old notations, additions and comments.
- Volume I: lower margin of leaf 15 and upper right margin of leaf 208 cut off (with small loss of
text).
- Volume II: lower margin of leaf 3 cut (without loss of text).
PROVENANCE
North German private collection.
CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE
Herewith we confirm the legal acquisition and the perfect origin of the volumes.