Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 64, The Wolfson Gallery

Leaf from the Würzburg Missal

Printed Leaf
ca. 1484 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a page from an early printed missal known as the Missale Herbipolense (or Würzburg Missal), and printed by Georg Reyser in 1484. Georg Reyser produced a number of liturgical books for the Bishop of Würzburg, Rudolf von Scherenberg. A missal is a service book containing texts needed for performing the Mass throughout the year.

Early printed books used type cut to resemble scripts. In books that were printed for a wealthier market, spaces might still be left for the addition of hand-drawn and illuminated initials, so that the finished work would resemble a manuscript. In this example even printed rubrics (initials, usually in red, marking important parts of the text; 'rubrica' is the Latin word for red) have been included, making the printing more expensive. The red lettering and black text would have to be printed separately and the printer would have had to ensure that each stage of printing registered correctly with the other. At this time the reform of the Mass in some parts of Germany included the requirement for monasteries to use identical texts, a requirement that would have been well served by the use of print.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLeaf from the Würzburg Missal (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Ink, water-based pigments and gold leaf on parchment
Brief description
Leaf from the Würzburg Missal: Missale Herbipolense, printed on vellum with hand-decorated initial T, Germany (Würzburg). c.1484.
Physical description
Leaf from a printed missal, with a hand-decorated initial T, 6 lines high. The letter shape is green on a beige ground, with pen decoration, and surrounded by a blue frame. Floral flourishing around the T extends into the margin in blue, pink, green and gold leaf. Rubrics and initials in the text have been printed in red. There are text and rubrics also on the verso, inlcuding a 2-line initial D in blue. The text is 19 lines and 1 column.

The text begins: Te igitur clementissime pater per Iesum Christum filium tuum...
Dimensions
  • Height: 37.5cm
  • Leaf width: 25.9cm
  • Printed space height: 28cm
  • Printed space width: 18cm
  • Initial within frame height: 9.1cm
  • Initial within frame width: 7cm
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Marks and inscriptions
Würzburg Missal : Missale Herbipolense (written on vellum)
Gallery label
LEAVES FROM MISSALS These two leaves of the same text are made by different methods. One is hand written and has ruled lines to guide the scribe. The other was printed, although it resembles handwriting of the period. Both have a hand-decorated initial letter. A missal contains texts needed by a priest to celebrate Mass. Printed leaf 1484 Germany, Würzburg Ink on parchment, with watercolour and gold Museum no.234.1(2009)
Object history
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).

Historical significance: This is a page from an early printed missal. It shows that there was a market for printed books in the Church. Early printed books used type cut to resemble scripts. In early printed books that were intended for a wealthier market, spaces might still be left for the addition of hand-drawn and illuminated initials, so that the finished work would resemble a manuscript; an alternative form of illustration would have been cheaper woodcuts. In this example printed rubrics have also been included, making the printing more expensive. The red lettering and black text would have to be printed separately and the printer would have had to ensure that the earlier printing registered correctly with the new.

Georg Reyser printed a number of works for liturgical use for the reforming Bishop of Würzburg, Fürstbischof Rudolf von Scherenberg, including the Missale Herbipolense (or Würzburg Missal) of 1484.
Historical context
According to Eberhard König, one reason for a new market for printed bibles and missals at this time was the reform of the Mass in certain parts of Germany, including the requirement for all reform monasteries to have identical texts, which spurred monasteries to review their library collections ('New Perspectives on the History of Mainz Printing' in Hindman, Sandra L. (Ed.). Printing the Written Word: The Social History of Books, circa 1450-1520. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1991, pp. 143-173).
Production
after 20 February 1484
Summary
This is a page from an early printed missal known as the Missale Herbipolense (or Würzburg Missal), and printed by Georg Reyser in 1484. Georg Reyser produced a number of liturgical books for the Bishop of Würzburg, Rudolf von Scherenberg. A missal is a service book containing texts needed for performing the Mass throughout the year.

Early printed books used type cut to resemble scripts. In books that were printed for a wealthier market, spaces might still be left for the addition of hand-drawn and illuminated initials, so that the finished work would resemble a manuscript. In this example even printed rubrics (initials, usually in red, marking important parts of the text; 'rubrica' is the Latin word for red) have been included, making the printing more expensive. The red lettering and black text would have to be printed separately and the printer would have had to ensure that each stage of printing registered correctly with the other. At this time the reform of the Mass in some parts of Germany included the requirement for monasteries to use identical texts, a requirement that would have been well served by the use of print.
Collection
Accession number
234:1

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Record createdDecember 12, 2006
Record URL
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