New Testament: MS 237

Titles

New Testament

Entities

• Other

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, ii modern parchment flyleaves + 378 fols. (including modern parchment replacements for the lost original fols. 228, 241, 242, 273, 323, 330, 359) + ii modern parchment flyleaves, 174 x 120 mm (114 x 74 mm), 23 long lines, ruled in crayon, running headers, catchwords

BINDING: Nineteenth century, blind-stamped brown leather over wooden boards, by J. Leighton, Brewer Street, London.

CONTENTS:
fols. 1r-11r Prologue, inc. Beato papa Edamaso (sic) Hieronimus
fols. 11v-15v Canon tables
fols. 18r-376r New Testament with prologues

ORNAMENTATION: Nine Canon Tables beneath arches with interlaced columns painted in red, blue and yellow (fols. 11v-15v); initials [9-23 ll.] formed of knotwork, entwined foliage and geometric patterns in red, green, blue and yellow, and terminating in foliate or zoomorphic motifs for prologue and most biblical books (fols. 1r, 61r, 88v, 137r, 222v, 232r, 236r, 242r, 292v, 311r, 336r, 340v, 344r, 348r, 350v, 355v, 361r), the initial for Acts mostly cut out, leaving the lower shaft in the inner border (fol. 175r), those for Apoc. and St Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews completely excised (fols. 245r, 363r), and those for St Peter’s first Epistle, St John’s second and third Epistle, and St Paul’s Epistles to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and Titus lost with the missing leaves (replaced with modern parchment fols. 228, 241, 242, 273, 323, 330, 359); red or blue penwork initials [3-5 ll.] with blue or red pen flourishing for prologues and Gospel of St Matthew (fol. 18v); headings for some books written in alternate blue and red pen-fllourished capitals; alternate blue and red one-line penwork initials with red or blue pen flourishing; capitals highlighted in red; text block on every page enclosed in red penwork frame.

Notes

History note: Purchased by Charles Butler (1822-1910) in Milan on 1 October 1883 and bound for him for £10 (inscription on recto of first parchment flyleaf at front); purchased for the Museum in 1893.