Manuscript Cutting thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case I, Shelf 81, Box V

Manuscript Cutting

1490s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a page from an Antiphoner. This book contains the choral parts of the Divine Office or Mass celebrated by a monastic or other community. Its size enabled the whole choir to read the music at once.

With their large folios and rich ornament, choirbooks were highly prized by 19th-century collectors. Early in the Museum's history, probably before 1863, a large number of folios were acquired from a single German Antiphoner. One of the leaves is inscribed '149[-]'. Sets of such choirbooks were often produced over a period of years, and the date may represent a local tradition for some event with which the books were associated. The text and music are for the Office of several feasts and saints' days. Two martyr saints are depicted in the initial letter A. They are St Laurence, holding a grill and book, and St Erasmus, with crosier and winching handle.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Water-based pigments, gilding and ink on parchment
Brief description
Leaf from Antiphoner. Historiated initial A with pink foliate letter-shape on burnished gold ground and saints Laurence with grill and book, and Erasmus with crosier and winching handle, beneath banderoll inscribed Got sei Lob on which is hand of God reaching down from top. Floriate stems with flowers, buds and a thistle in the margin. Germany ca 1490. A duplicate number MS.581 was assigned to this object in error and was subsequently cancelled.
Physical description
Specimen of a manuscript
Dimensions
  • Written space height: 370mm
  • Written space width: 250mm
Object history
Cuttings from the same manuscript in the V&A collection: Museum nos 1107:1, 1107:2, 1107:3, 1107:4, 1107:5, 1107:6, 1107:7, 1107:8, 1107:9, 1107:10, 1107:11, 1107:12, 1107:13, 1107:14, 1107:15, 1107:16, 1107:17; 1107:18, 1107:19, 1107:20, 1107:21, 1107:22, 1107:23, 1107:24, 1107:25, 1107:27, 1107:28, 1107:29, 1107:30, 1107:31, 1107:32, 1107:33, 1107:34, 2897, 3019, 3046, 3048, 3049, 3050, 3055, 3055A, 3056, 3071, 4051, 4052, 4053, 4054, 4132, 7658, 7659.
Historical context
Data taken from notes compiled by Rowan Watson. The full text of the entry is as follows:

'1107 .19 (MS 581)
ANTIPHONER 10 aug
Leaf, with historiated initial A (pink foliate letter-shape on burnished gold ground, saints Laurence with grill and book, and Erasmus with crosier and winching handle, beneath banderoll inscribed "Got sei Lob" on which is hand reaching down from top of God, floriate stems with flowers, buds and a thistle in the margin

(1) Inc: Absterget Deus omnen lacrimam (2) Rubric: V'. Non esurient neque sicient

Germany (Mainz?) . c. 1490
msd; written space 370 x 250 mm.
7 lines of music (staves of 5 red lines; 30 mm) and text.
Hufnagel notation
Pp. 877 & 878

Pub: 1908 cat, 53; 1923 cat, 44'
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a page from an Antiphoner. This book contains the choral parts of the Divine Office or Mass celebrated by a monastic or other community. Its size enabled the whole choir to read the music at once.

With their large folios and rich ornament, choirbooks were highly prized by 19th-century collectors. Early in the Museum's history, probably before 1863, a large number of folios were acquired from a single German Antiphoner. One of the leaves is inscribed '149[-]'. Sets of such choirbooks were often produced over a period of years, and the date may represent a local tradition for some event with which the books were associated. The text and music are for the Office of several feasts and saints' days. Two martyr saints are depicted in the initial letter A. They are St Laurence, holding a grill and book, and St Erasmus, with crosier and winching handle.
Bibliographic reference
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. 43-45 (as German (Mainz), dated 149_).
Collection
Accession number
1107:19

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdFebruary 27, 2004
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest