Manuscript leaf from a Bible

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Manuscript leaf from a Bible

Place of OriginGermany

Date1400-1450

DimensionsApproximately 17 1/2 x 12 1/2 in.

Mediumvellum

ClassificationManuscripts

Object number

1923.14

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Label TextThis medieval manuscript leaf comes from a type of large Latin Bible that was popular in the 1400s. Often used for reading out loud to monks or nuns assembled for meals, such Bibles had hundreds of leaves of vellum (processed animal hides) and could weigh 50 pounds or more. The visible side of the leaf contains portions of the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Ruled lines, clearly visible, guided the scribe who wrote the text in an angular lettering style commonly encountered in late medieval books. Also typical of the era is the ornamental use of red and blue letters and border decoration, as well as the ornate initial “L” and Roman numerals “XIX” that mark the beginning of Leviticus 19: Locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens… (The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…).Published ReferencesGwara, Scott, Otto Ege's Manuscripts: a Study of Ege's Manuscript Collections, Portfolios, and Retail Trade with a Comprehensive Handlist of Manuscripts Collected or Sold, Cayce, SC, De Brailes Publishing, 2013, fig. 19, p. 206, repr. p. 232.