Cut-out historiated initial 'P' with St. Peter in Jail from a liturgical book attributed to the Master of the Modena Hours (Tomasino da Vimercate); Italian; mid 15th century (c. 1440?)

[A duplicate number MS.1008 was assigned to this object in error and was subsequently cancelled.]

This historiated initial 'P' likely came from a liturgical manuscript and was made in the Lombard region of Italy in the mid 15th century (c. 1440?). It has been attributed to the Master of the Modena Hours (Tomasino da Vimercate) based on stylistic featrues. Double-sided (although now pasted onto card). Colour pigments and burnished gold (gold pigment polished to shine).

Recto: Pink historiated initial on a burnished gold background

1

This historiated initial 'P' likely came from a liturgical manuscript and appears to have been made in Lombardy in the mid 15th century (c. 1440?). The large size of the initial suggests that it may have been intended to be read from farther away and by a large group, such as a choir. It may have come from a Gradual (the principal liturgical book used in the Mass; it contains all of the sung material used in the Mass) or an Antiphoner (a manuscript that contains all of the sung material for the Divine Office [canonical hours of private daily devotion practiced by monks and nuns]).

Initial
Recto: a pale pink historiated initial 'P' is ornamented with white foliate shapes on the stem (main vertical stroke of an alphabetic letter). On the bowl (closed, round/oval curve of an alphabetic letter) of the initial, there is a figure--a sleeping guard, which is part of the St. Peter narrative unfolding inside of the initial. In the closed counted (fully enclosed interior white space of an alphabetic letter), St. Peter is shown enclosed in a stone structure with bars on the window. He speaks with a small red-winged angel, which part of the St. Peter narrative told in Acts 12:1-17. The whole initial is set against a burnished gold background.

Verso: Inaccessible (the sutting is pasted down onto card).

Text:
Due to the close cropping, no visible text remains.

Data taken from notes compiled by Rowan Watson. The full text of the entry is as follows:

(This text refers to 325.1 to 325.8)

Cat. 325. Eight cut-out historiated miniatures from a Choir Book, Italy (North), Mid-15th century.

Individual item text

'Cat. no. 325.2
D. 333-1893
CHOIR BOOK
Cut-out historiated initial P (beige letter-shape, with drawing of sleeping soldier on burnished gold ground , St Peter in prison visited by an angel, attributed to Tomasino da Vimercate, al. Parma Master)

Verso not visible (pasted onto card in 19c).

Italy (North) . c. 1440?
115 x 115 mm.

From a set of 8 "illuminations" bought from Messrs Parsons, 1893 £12.12.0.
Pub: 1908 cat, 88; 1923 cat, 81'

Cut-out historiated initial 'P' (an initial that contains a recognizable figure or scene) depicts St. Peter in Jail, originally from a liturgical book (a book used during the Christian Mass). Probably made in Lombardy in c. 1440 and attributed to the Master of the Modena Hours (Tomasino de Vimercate)

D.333-1893