Bible: MS McClean 10

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• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, iii modern parchment flyleaves + 582 fols. + iii modern parchment flyleaves, 263 x 181 mm (172 x 112 mm), heavily trimmed at top, two columns (except Interpretation of Hebrew Names, three columns), 47 lines, ruled in plummet, catchwords

BINDING: Nineteenth century, stamped brown leather over wooden boards, by Leighton, Brewer St., London

CONTENTS:
fols. 1r - 538v Old and New Testaments with prologues
fols. 539r - 582v Interpretation of Hebrew Names

DECORATION: Sixty-six historiated initials [5 – 45 ll.] in blue, pink, green, grey, orange, beige, cream and gold, with foliate, columnar, ovoid and geometric detailing on pink, blue and occasional gold grounds, containing single figures, usually half-length, with ascenders and descenders extending into partial borders with decorated shafts, foliate scrolls, wing-like designs and occasional heads, grotesques and birds: fol. 1r St Jerome's Prologue, [F, 12 ll.] St Jerome as a Benedictine writing; fol. 4r Prologue to Pentateuch, [D, 6 ll.] Bust of nimbed prophet with book; fol. 4v Gen, [I, 47 ll.] Creation scenes within quatrefoil roundels, in top margin diapered roundels with heads of two nimbed bearded men ( probably prophets), in lower margin square framed miniature of the Crucifixion with Virgin Mary and St John, flanked by two diapered roundels with nimbed head of old and young saints or prophets, below a suppliant Dominican; fol. 26v Exod, [H, 5 ll.] Crossing of the Red Sea; fol. 43r Lev, [V, 7 ll.] Moses and Aaron offering ram at altar; fol. 55v Num, [L, 8 ll.] God speaking to Moses, death of Aaron; fol. 73v Deut, [H, 5 ll.] Moses with a young man holding a large scroll standing before an open chest, perhaps the Ark; fol. 89r Jos, [E, 9 ll.] Death of Moses, God speaking to Joshua; fol. 98v Judges, [P, 9 ll.] God speaking to Judah; fol. 108v Ruth, [I, 24 ll.] Elimelech and Naomi journeying to Moab; fol. 112r I Kings, [F, 10 ll.] Two kings conversing; fol. 169v I Par, [A, 9 ll.] Genealogy of the House of David; fol. 199v I Esd, [I, 42 ll.] Cyrus ordering the building of the Temple of Jerusalem; fol. 216v Tob, [T, 8 ll.] Raphael with Tobit; fol. 221r Judith, [A, 8 ll.] Judith beheading Holofernes; fol. 227r Esth, [I, 45 ll.] Esther appealing to Ahasuerus, Haman hanged below; fol. 233r Job, [V, 7 ll.] Job on the dungheap with his wife and friends, behind them a tower falls; fol. 244v Psalm 1, [B, 8 ll.] God blessing, David harping; fol. 246r Psalm 13, [D, 5 ll.] Fool holding a disc in margin (the psalm begins Dixit stultus); fol. 260r Psalm 97, [C, 5 ll.] Two Benedictines singing at lectern; fol. 262v Psalm 109, [D, 4 ll.] God the Father and Son; fol. 267v Prov, [P, 9 ll.] Solomon instructing Rehoboam; fol. 280r Cant, [O, 6 ll.] Virgin and Child; fol. 307v Isai, [V, 8 ll.] Martyrdom of Isaiah; fol. 328v Jer, [V, 5 ll.] Stoning of Jeremiah; fol. 352v Lam, [V, 6 ll.] Jeremiah lamenting before Jerusalem; fol. 354v Bar, [E, 5 ll.] Baruch writing; fol. 357v Ezek, [E, 6 ll.] Ezekiel's vision of the four beasts; fol. 380v Dan, [A, 7 ll.] Daniel in the lions' den; fol. 389v Osea, [V, 7 ll.] Marriage of Hosea and Gomer; fol. 393r Joel, [V, 7 ll.] God addressing Joel, locusts and caterpillars in tree; fol. 394v Amos, [V, 6 ll.] God addresses Amos as shepherd in field with sheep; fol. 397r Abd, [V, 6 ll.] Three men at feast, one looking up to heaven; fol. 397v Jonah, [E, 6 ll.] Jonah coming out of the whale; fol. 398v Mich, [V, 7 ll.] God speaking to Micah; fol. 401r Nah, [O, 7 ll.] Nahum pointing to destruction of Nineveh; fol. 402v Hab, [O, 7 ll.] Habakkuk before Christ crucified; fol. 403v Soph, [V, 7 ll.] Zephaniah preaching before the Fish Gate; fol. 405r Agg, [I, 33 ll.] Haggai looks up to God; fol. 406r Zach, [I, 24 ll.] Entry of Christ into Jerusalem; fol. 409v Mal, [O, 7 ll.] Malachi with priest before altar; fol. 411r I Macc, [E, 7 ll.] Maccabees in battle; fol. 435r Prologue Matt, [M, 11 ll.] Matthew, as angel, writing; Matt, [L, 11 ll.] Tree of Jesse, but without the figure of Jesse; fol. 448v Mark, [I, 26 ll.] Mark with book, with Christ above blessing, below half-length zoo-anthropomorphic evangelist symbol of Mark with book; fol. 457v Luke, [F, 12 ll.] Luke kneeling before altar, below half-length zoo-anthropomorphic evangelist symbol of Luke with book; fol. 472v John, [I, 20 ll.] Christ seated, blessing, zoo-anthropomorphic evangelist symbol of John with book below looking up; fol. 484v Rom, [P, 7 ll.] Bust of St Paul with book and sword; fol. 490v I Cor, [P, 7 ll.] Bust of St Paul with sword; fol. 496r II Cor, [P, 6 ll.] Bust of St Paul with sword and book; fol. 499v Gal. [P, 7 ll.] Bust of St Paul with book; fol. 501r Eph, [P, 7 ll.] Paul conversing with messenger; fol. 502v Phil, [P, 6 ll.] Paul with book conversing with bishop; fol. 503v Col, [P, 7 ll.] Paul with book conversing with bishop; fol. 504v I Thess, [P, 7 ll.] Paul with book conversing with archbishop and man; fol. 505v II Thess, [P, 7 ll.] Paul with sword conversing with bishop; fol. 506r I Tim, [P, 7 ll.] Paul with book conversing with bishop; fol. 507v II Tim, [P, 7 ll.] Bust of St Paul with sword and book; fol. 508v Tit, [P,7 ll.] Paul with sword and book; fol. 509r Philemon, [P, 7 ll.] Bust of St Paul with sword and book; fol. 509r Laod, [P, 7 ll.] Paul with sword and book; fol. 509v Heb, [M, 7 ll.] Paul speaking to a group of Jews; fol. 513r Acts, [P, 7 ll.] Ascension; fol. 526v James, [I, 39 ll.] Christ handing book to James, below a man with a scroll; fol. 527v I Pet, [P, 6 ll.] Bust of St Peter with keys and book; fol. 530r I John, [Q, 6 ll.] Christ embracing weeping John; fol. 531v Jude, [I, 33 ll.] Christ, leaning from balcony, handing book to Jude; fol. 532r Apoc, [A, 7 ll.] John writing, with seven candlesticks above.

Sketches in red pen of pigs' heads added as notation marks in outer margin (fol. 550r); explicit at end of the Interpretation of Hebrew Names decorated with sketches of faces, fish, and geometric designs (fol. 582v).

ORNAMENTATION: 84 ornamental initials [3 - 42 ll.] in blue, pink, green, grey, orange, beige, cream and gold, with heavily stylised foliate, columnar, ovoid and geometric detailing and infill on pink and blue grounds, for some books, prologues, arguments and some Psalms; red and blue penwork initials [2 - 11 ll.], some parted, with red and blue penwork intercolumnar and side border extensions for chapters, Psalms and Interpretation of Hebrew Names; red and blue running headers (except for Psalms); red and blue chapter and Psalms numbers, rubricated incipits and explicits for books, prologues, sections of Lamentations and occasional chapters throughout; red highlighting for Psalm verses.