Cut-out historiated initial 'O' or possibly 'Q' with St. Peter enthroned as a bishop holding keys and blessing. Attributed to the Master of the Modena Hours (Tomasino da Vimercate); Italian; early-mid 15th century.

This historiated initial 'O' or possibly 'Q' likely came from a liturgicla manuscript and was probably made in the Lombard region of Italy

1

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

Initial
Recto: blue historiated initial 'Q' or 'O' with white filigree decorations on both the left and right bowl (closed, round/oval curve of an alphabetic letter). Inside of the closed counter (fully enclosed interior white space of an alphabetic letter), St. Peter sits on a green throne and hold keys, which are his identifying emblem. His right hand is raised in a blessing gesture. He is wearing a papal tiara and has a burnished gold nimbus (halo). The inner gold background may have once been burnished gold but is now badly damaged. The entire initial is set against a burnished gold background.

Text:
Due to the close cropping of the initials, there is no visibile text remaining.

Verso:
The cutting is pasted down onto card and therefore the reverse side is inaccessible.

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. 325.6
D.337-1893 (MS 1012)
CHOIR BOOK
Cut-out historiated initial Q (blue letter-shape on burnished gold ground, St Peter with triple tiara blessing with right and with two keys in left hand, enthroned, attributed to Tomasino da Vimercate, a;. Parma Mater

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

Italy (North) . c. 1440?
115 x 100 mm.

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

Historiated initial 'Q' or 'O' (an initial that contains an identifiable figure or scene) with St. Peter enthroned as a bishop. Likley made in Lombardy in the early-mid 15th century and attributed to the Master of the Modena Hours (Tomasino da Vimercate). The initial likley came from a liturgical manuscript (a book used during the celebration of the Mass).

D.337-1893