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Leaf from a set of Choir books: MS 197

An image of Leaf (manuscript)
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An image of Leaf (manuscript)
An image of Leaf (manuscript)
Current Location: In storage

Titles

Leaf from a set of Choir books

Maker(s)

Artist: Pietro, Sano di
Artist: Rossini, Pellegrino di Mariano

Entities

Categories

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, 578 x 400 mm (398 x 228 mm), 29 long lines, ruled in ink and accommodating two lines of text and two four-line musical staves ruled in red ink on each side of the leaf

CONTENTS: On reverse (original recto): Antiphon for the psalm Salvum me fac of the first nocturn of Matins for Septuagesima Sunday, [Tu Domine servabis nos et cus]todies nos, followed by Ps[almus] Salvum me fac d[eus]. V[ersiculus] Memor fui nocte nominis tui d[omine]. R[esponsorium] Et custodivi legem tuam; the miniature and initial, which would have been on the original verso, introduced the responsory for the first lesson of Matins for Septuagesima Sunday, In principio fecit Deus celum et ter[ram] (Gen I:1)

DECORATION: Large framed miniature of the Creation of heaven and earth, accompanied by a graded blue initial [I, 17 ll.] on burnished gold ground, with acanthus leaves extending into a full border containing birds, vases, gold balls and putti supporting a wreath medallion with the (overpainted) arms of the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala in Siena.

ORNAMENTATION: Alternate blue and red penwork initials [2-4 ll.] with reserved ornament.

Notes

History note: From the Choir books of the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala in Siena made during the rectorship of Niccolò Ricoveri (1456-1476/1477); probably belonged to William Young Ottley (1771-1836), as suggested by François Avril (in Avignon 1983, 351), but it has not been possible to identify them among the lots in his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 11-12 May 1838; purchased for the Museum in 1891.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1891)

Dating

15th Century, third quarter
Circa 1460 CE - Circa 1477 CE

People, subjects and objects depicted

Project

  • Cambridge Illuminated

Components of the work

Support composed of parchment
Material composed of gold

Techniques used in production

Penwork
Illumination

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: MS 197
Primary reference Number: 180470
Project ID: 421

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 20 June 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Manuscripts and Printed Books

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Leaf from a set of Choir books" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/180470 Accessed: 2025-12-05 07:15:08

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/180470 |title=Leaf from a set of Choir books |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 07:15:08|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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