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Leaf from the Hastière Bible

Manuscript Cutting
14th century (made)
Place of origin

Recto: historiated initial F depicting St Jerome and probably St Ambrosius. Jerome is writing on a scroll, Ambrosius holds an open book. The dove of the Holy Spirit descends between them.
In the borders: dog and stag, animals including a lion holding bellows, a bird, a cat, a squirrel, dragons, angel playing bells.
Rubric: Incipit prologus sancti Iheronimi presbiteri ad Paulinum de omnibus divine hystorie libris. Frater Ambrosius mihi tua…
2 columns, 40 lines
Original foliation in red ink in the middle of the lower margin: I.
Mounted onto card; verso not visible.

This initial introduces Jerome's prologue to the Vulgate, his translation of the Bible and this leaf once was the first page of the Bible.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLeaf from the Hastière Bible
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Leaf with historiated initial F showing St Jerome and possibly St Ambrosius, from the Hastière Bible, Southern Netherlands, 14th century.
A duplicate number MS.213 was assigned to this object in error and was subsequently cancelled.
Physical description
Recto: historiated initial F depicting St Jerome and probably St Ambrosius. Jerome is writing on a scroll, Ambrosius holds an open book. The dove of the Holy Spirit descends between them.
In the borders: dog and stag, animals including a lion holding bellows, a bird, a cat, a squirrel, dragons, angel playing bells.
Rubric: Incipit prologus sancti Iheronimi presbiteri ad Paulinum de omnibus divine hystorie libris. Frater Ambrosius mihi tua…
2 columns, 40 lines
Original foliation in red ink in the middle of the lower margin: I.
Mounted onto card; verso not visible.

This initial introduces Jerome's prologue to the Vulgate, his translation of the Bible and this leaf once was the first page of the Bible.
Dimensions
  • Text block height: 360mm
  • Text block width: 220mm
Production typeUnique
Object history
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.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Catalogue of illuminated manuscripts : Part II, Miniatures, leaves, and cuttings, by S.C. Cockerell and E.F. Strange (London: HMSO, 1908, 1st edition). pp. 27-28 (as Netherlandish, 14th century; nos 213-226).
  • Catalogue of Miniatures, Leaves, and Cuttings from Illuminated Manuscripts. Victoria and Albert Museum. Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design, by S.C. Cockerell and C. Harcourt Smith (London: HMSO, 1923, 2nd edition). pp. 22-23 (as Netherlandish, 14th century).
  • Peter Kidd, 'Bible leaves in Philadelphia, London, and Paris, 1 October 2016', 'Two more leaves from the Hastière Bible', 24 December 2016, 'One more leaf from the Hastière Bible', 27 December 2016, and a list of all located surviving leaves and cuttings 'Leaves and cuttings from the Hastière Bible', in Medieval Manuscripts Provenance blog [accessed 16/04/2020].
Other number
213 - Cancelled number
Collection
Accession number
260:1

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
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