Cutting with historiated initial O showing Habakkuk, from the Hastière Bible, Southern Netherlands, 14th century.
A duplicate number MS.220 was assigned to this object in error and was subsequently cancelled.

Historiated initial O showing Habakkuk carrying a jug and an angel with a portable organ behind him, on burnished gold ground. Habakkuk was ordered by the angel to deliver a jug of stew to Daniel in the lions’ den.
This initial marks the beginning of the Book of Habakkuk, starting 'Onus quod vidit Abacuc propheta...'.
Instructions to the illuminator in the margin to the left.

Probably commissioned by the couple depicted in the Crucifixion scene (Museum no. 279:1) identified by the scrolls they hold as Johans de Hastières and Magrite de Matetio (?) Voisia. The cleric depicted kneeling before Christ (?) (Museum no. 246:10), called 'Egidius de Romereet' would also have been involved in the commissioning of the Bible, which was in multiple volumes. May have been made in the region of Hastière, south of Namur.
Purchased from J. and S. Goldschmidt as part of three portfolios (now Museum nos 234-296) designated as a 'Illuminations: a collection of 338 specimens, pages and cuttings' for the total sum of £100.0.0, received on 15 October 1872; passed on for Register in April 1874 (see Register of Drawings).
Cuttings from the same manuscript in the V&A collection: 246:7, 246:8, 246:9, 246:10, 260:1, 260:2, 260:3, 260:4, 260:5, 260:6, 260:7, 279:1, 279:2.

Cuttings from the same manuscript in other collections: Philadelphia, Free Library; Nuremberg, Nationalmuseum; Paris, Ecole nationale des Beaux-Arts; Munich, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung; Zeileis collection and on the market. For full details, see Peter Kidd, 'Leaves and Cuttings from the Hastière Bible', in Medieval Manuscripts Provenance blog, 2016.

246:7