240 x 170 mm, illuminated Psalter on vellum, in Latin, southern Netherlands (perhaps Ghent), c. 1255-65; written in Gothic book hand and Gothic minuscule, with 14th- and 15th-century additions; 150 leaves, one flyleaf (parchment), i⁴, ii⁶, iii⁴, iv-x⁸, xi³ (first leaf stub, no loss of text), xii-xviii⁸, xix⁷ (second leaf lacking), xx¹⁴ (last quire 14 leaves including two parchment endleaves, collation unsure), textually complete (apart from additional litany at end which cuts off at foot of the verso), a 19^th-century description of the manus♔cript by John Daniel Thomas Niblett, FSA (1809-1883), of Harefield, pasted to a leaf at end; full calendar, each leaf decorated with an illumination either showing the Labours of the Month or zodiac signs, 3 full-page miniatures, 1 full-page Beatus-initial, 9 large historiated initials, 3- to 4-line champie initials, a few partial borders, some with animals, 1-line in♚itials in gold or blue; vellum slightly darkened, marks of usage and stains in margins; contemporary white calfskin, remains of two clasps, modern fitted case.

DEVOTION AND C♚APRICE: INTRI𒀰GUING 13TH CENTURY PSALTER FROM THE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS

This beautifully decorated Psalter from the Southern Netherlands, encompasses 12 calendar illustrations, 3 full-page miniatures, one full-page ꧑‘Beatus’ initial as well as 9 large historiated initials. As is usual for this type of book, the illuminations are grouped together at the beginning, preceding the text which consists of prayers, psalms, cantica, and litanies.

Psalters inhabit a vital position within historical manuscript production and use, not just as predecessors of the immensely popular Book of Hours, but as reflections of a changing devotional landscape in Europe. The pinnacle of psalter production was in first half of the 13^th century. During this time, these🐲 devotional manuscripts became increasingly popular with female lay owners w🔥ho often bequeathed them to their daughters.

The style of the manuscript’s 🧸decoration is characteristic of the southern Netherlands; including large figures outlined in black, folds and draperies also emphasised by black outlines against burnished gold. The figures are created with few confident strokes, using a high level of abstraction.

The three beautiful full-page illuminations depict the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Descent from the Cross and are surrounded by elegant frames. All three miniatures are executed on burnished gold ground in a luxurious colour palette consisting of shades of blue, purple, and ochre, encompassing some of the most precious pigments used in manuscript production. With only a few strokes the artist conveys the turmoil of emotions during one of the most dramatic scenes of the life of C෴hrist.

The full-page historiated Beatus-initial is especially captivating in its use of shades of red and blue to create a striking contrast between the body of the letter and its backdrop. The upper bow of the initial B encompasses God in Majesty flanked by two angels while the lower ♈bow of the letter contains a presentation in the temple scene.

Numerou🧔s golden three-line initials and smaller initials in gold and blue decorate the manuscript throughout, with the three-line initials often extending along the whole length of the text to form bܫodies of capricious beasts and birds revealing the French Gothic influence upon the manuscript.

The Psalter contains numerous marginal annotations, textual emendations, and additions. The prayers at the beginning and the added Litanies at the end are likely by a 15^th-century English hand, while the additions to the Calendar pages and the note below the Nativity are potentially by a 14^th-century English hand. These textual changes provide an intriguing starting point for research into its exciting fate and continued use in the 14^th and 15^th century.

This Psalter is a fascinating example of Netherlandish manuscript production oscillating between French and Germanic influences, with three full-page illuminations, one f✅ull-page initial, and charming zoomorphic initials throughout the text.

DECORATION

Calendar with either labours of the month or a zodiac signs: Jan. Male figure with three faces drinking and eating, Feb. Female figure carrying candles (referencing Candlemas), Mar. Man digging, Apr. Man on horseback bearing flowers, May Man huꦜnting with falcon on horseback, Jun. Man carrying wood, Jul. Man reaping with a scythe, Aug. Man reaping with sickle, Sept. Man harvesting grapes, Oct. Man sowing, Nov. Man about to slaughter cattle, Dec. Man baking.

Full-page illuminations: Nativity, Crucifixion, Descent from th🐲e Cross, Beatus-Initial

Historiated Initials: 9 large historiated initials, showing: Prophet in initial ‘D’ with scroll, prophet in initial ‘D’ with scroll, prophe🃏t in initial ‘Q’ with scroll, King David with jester in initial ‘D’, God as Salvator Munﷺdi and King David in the water in initial ‘S’, prophet with scroll in initial ‘E’, prophet in initial ‘C’, prophet in initial ‘D’, God as Salvator munid in initial ‘D’.

TEXTS AND FULL-PAGE ILLUMINATIONS

- f.1r-4v, later inserted text ❀14th cent𓂃ury, initials not executed, commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, a Prayer to the Virgin Mary, the Seven Joys of the Virgin

- f.5r-10v, Calendar

- f.10r-11r, Poem, Mundi Vanitas, incipit: Cur mundus militat, sub vana gloria, cuius prosperitas est transitoria.

- f.11v, Nativity, full-page illumination

- f.12r, Hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus, attributed to Rabanus Maurus

- f.12v, Crucifixion, full-page illumination

- f.13r, Septem verba Christi in cruce pendentis (Sa🗹yings of Jeus on the Cross) attributed to the Venerable Bede

- f.13r, Descent fr꧋om the Cross, full-page illumination

- f.14v, Prayer to Jesus added later on empty recto of full-page illumination, incipit: O bone Jesu, o piissime Jesu, o dulcissime Jesu, o Jesu, fili Mariae virginis, plene misericordia et pietate

- f.15v, full-page illumination, Beatus-Initial

- f. 16r-121v, Psalms

- f.122- f.131v, Canticles

- f. 131v, -133r, Litany of Saints

- f. 133v, Prayer to the Holy Spirit, incipit: Deus qui corda fidelium sancti spiritus, with later additions and emendations

- f. 134-137r, Readings from the Book of Iob, with later aꦆddition✤s and textual emendations

🍎- f.137-147v, added quire, later, Litany of Saints

PROVENANCE

1. Written and illuminated for an affluent patron in the southern Netherlands. The calendar includes a series of French and Netherlandish saints; Saint Ama🍌nd of Maa🐻stricht and Vedast venerated in Flanders and Northern France, Saint Gertrude (Nivelles, Belgium), Servatius of Tongern (Maastricht). The inclusion of Saint Amalberga and Saint Bavo points to a Gent origin.

2. Expunge♉d ownership(?) inscripti🏅on on initial flyleaf.

3. Thomas Sharp (1693-1758), armorial bookplate. Thomas Sharp was the son of John Sharp, Archbishop of York. Thomas followed his father into the church, rose to be archdeacon of Northumberland and a prebend of Durham Cathedral, and was awarded D.D. by Cambridge University in 1729. He owned a substantial library, much of wh꧃ich became part of the library at Bamburgh ✅Castle (now on deposit at Durham University), and wrote a number of books on theological subjects. He had fourteen children, one of whom was the abolitionist Granville Sharp. 

4. UK, Private Collection.

LITERATURE

Carlvant-Boysen, Kerstin. Manuscript painting in thirteenth-century Flanders: Bruges, Ghent and the circle of the counts, Turnhout: Brepols, 2012.

Büttner, Frank O. The illuminated psalter: studies in the content, purpose and placement of its images, Turnhout: Brepols, 2004.

Engelhart, Helmuth. “Der St. Marienthaler Psalter.”, in Taegert, Werner ed. Hortulus floridus Bambergensis: Studien zur fränkischen Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte; Renate Baumgärtel- Fleischmann zum 4. Mai 2002, Petersberg: Imhof 2004, pp. 371-392.

Oliver, J.H. Corpus of illuminated manuscripts form the Low Countries, Gothic Manuscript illumination in the Diocese of Liege (c. 1250-c. 1330), vol. 2 and 3, Leuven: Uitgeverij Peeters, 1988.