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Historiated initial from a set of Choir books: MS McClean 201.13q

An image of Cutting (manuscript)
View image details Mirador icon - view image Mirador deep zoom IIIF Manifest IIIF Manifest Slow looking

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

Titles

Historiated initial from a set of Choir books

Entities

Categories

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, 168 x 135 mm, two fragmentary lines of text ruled in pale brown ink and two fragmentary four-line musical staves ruled in red ink on reverse.

CONTENTS: The initial M would have introduced the responsory for the first lesson of Matins for the feast of the Decollation of John the Baptist, Misit Herodes rex manus ac tenuit Joannem et vinxit in carcerem; on reverse, part of the responsory to the second lesson of Matins for this feast, [Joannes Baptista arguebat Herodem] pro[pter Herodia]dem.

DECORATION: Historiated initial in pale graded pink on burnished gold ground with floral and acanthus extensions into the margins which also contain gold balls and birds: [M] King Herod sending out soldiers to arrest St John the Baptist.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1904) by McClean, Frank

Dating

14th Century, Late-15th Century, Early
Circa 1395 CE - Circa 1400 CE

People, subjects and objects depicted

Project

  • Cambridge Illuminated

Materials used in production

Gold

Components of the work

Support composed of parchment

Techniques used in production

Illumination

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: MS McClean 201.13q
Primary reference Number: 181944
Project ID: 1502

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 3 September 2020

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) "Historiated initial from a set of Choir books" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/181944 Accessed: 2025-12-05 08:02:40

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/181944 |title=Historiated initial from a set of Choir books |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 08:02:40|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-181944

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Historiated initial from a set of Choir books</figcaption>
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