Miniature from the Romance of Kanor, in the 'Cycle des Sept sages', Paris, 2nd quarter of the 14th century.

Recto: text from Kanor, 'Moult ebaihis de ce que cils li dist si li respondi. Avant que vous tel chose deissiez ne feissiez deussiez et vous avoir moult pense au faire et au dire. Mais leu ne se doit pas de ce merveillier que vous dites. qr [abbrv.] vous estes b[ie[n de la lignie qui onques ne pot b[ie]n dire ne penser. Comment dist li chastelains je vous […]' (corresponds to the text on lines 12ff. in Paris, BnF, fr. 22550, f. 127ra)
Verso: miniature. A man and a woman are standing together, conversing with four other people on the battlements of a tower with portcullis. Chequered background.
The manuscript this miniature comes from was written on 3 columns and the miniature was the width of one column.

May have come from the collection of William Young Ottley: his sale, Sotheby's London, 11-12 May 1838, maybe part of lot 128 (see Kidd 2020). Collection of Nathaniel Philips Simes: his sale, Sotheby's London, 9-13 July 1886, part of lot 1095. Purchased from Charles Fairfax Murray in 1894 as part of a group of cuttings (now Museum nos 799-1894 to 817-1894) for the total sum of £190 10s 10d.
A duplicate number MS.804 was assigned to this object in error and was subsequently cancelled.

Cuttings from the same manuscript in the V&A collection: 813-1894 and 814-1894.

Cuttings from the same manuscript in other collections: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Douce d. 13, f. 2r (3 cuttings; probably purchased by Sir Francis Douce from London bookseller John Simco).

Cuttings from the same manuscript, whereabouts unknown: collection of Sir George Holford at Dorchester House: his sale, Sotheby's London, 12 July 1927, lot 2 (3 cuttings).

This miniature comes from an early 14th-century Parisian manuscript or set of manuscripts which contained romances belonging to the 'Cycle des Sept sages'. It depicts a scene from the Romance of Kanor and is stylistically close to two other copies of this text contained in:
- Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, fr. 22548-22550
- Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, fr. 17000 and London, BL, Harley MS 4903.

814-1894