Historiated initial from a Cistercian Gradual thumbnail 1
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Historiated initial from a Cistercian Gradual

Manuscript Cutting
1st half 14th century (made)
Place of origin

Initial R in red with a blue border with six Cistercian monks singing at a lectern. Above them another monk plays an organ. All on burnished gold ground.
Other side: Text too generic to be identified.
‘…leyson. Kyri
[…]eyson. Gloria. Gloria.
[…]yrie. In duplicibus [maioribus written above this rubric]


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHistoriated initial from a Cistercian Gradual
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Historiated initial R with Cistercian monks singing and playing music, Eastern Netherlands (Gelderland or Western Germany), 1st half of the 14th century.
Physical description
Initial R in red with a blue border with six Cistercian monks singing at a lectern. Above them another monk plays an organ. All on burnished gold ground.
Other side: Text too generic to be identified.
‘…leyson. Kyri
[…]eyson. Gloria. Gloria.
[…]yrie. In duplicibus [maioribus written above this rubric]
Dimensions
  • Height: 152mm
  • Width: 134mm
Production typeUnique
Object history
Part of cuttings purchased in batches from William Henry James Weale in 1883, 95 on 9 April 1883, 258 on 17 April 1883, 20 on 20 February, for the total sum of £96.7.2 (now Museum nos 8972-9042).
A duplicate number MS.192 was assigned to this object in error and was subsequently cancelled.

Cuttings from the same manuscript in the V&A collection: Museum nos 8990A, 8990B, 9005A, 9005B.

Cuttings from the same manuscript in other collections: Christie's London, 6 December 1989, lot 1; formerly Kofler-Truniger collection, Lucerne, and later Jörn Günther Antiquariat, Catalogue 6 (2002), no.27; Sotheby's, 3 December 2013, part of lot 17, and subsequently De Brailes, Catalogue One, no.I and Catalogue Two, no.II; McCarthy Collection, BM1606 and 1607 (see Kidd 2016 and Kidd 2019, no. 23).
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). p. 25 (as Flemish, early 14th century).
  • 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). p. 20 (as Flemish, early 14th century).
  • Kidd, P., 'Cuttings from an Early 14th-Century Cistercian Gradual', and 'Cuttings from a Cistercian Gradual' from Manuscript Provenance blog, July 2016 [last accessed 25/03/2020].
  • Kidd, P., The McCarthy Collection. Vol. II: Spanish, English, Flemish and Central European miniatures, London: Ad Ilissum, 2019. pp. 120-123 in relation to no. 23 (as Eastern Netherlands (Gelderland? or Western Germany), 1st half of the 14th century.
Other number
192 - Cancelled number
Collection
Accession number
8990A

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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