May 1, 2024 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
35
A 15th-century Breviarum Minorum from the library of an accused Episcopalian heretic
[MANUSCRIPT]
Breviarum [Romanum ad usum fratrum] Minorum. [Spine title]. Likely Southern Netherlands (though N.B. annotated in Italian at the end): 1446, dated here from the calendrical calculator at the rear. Bound in shagreen with metal fittings, an Irish bookbinding, the binder's name obscured by rubbing to the endpaper on which their name was stamped in gilt, but the address is still visible as 7 Castle Street Dublin; the rear cover with the blind-stamped seal of Alexander Penrose Forbes, Bishop of Brechlin, dated October 18th, 1847, the spine lettered Breviarium Minorum; all edges gilt, richly gauffered with concentric rectangles of red and blue painted on all three edges. 4 5/8 x 3 1/8 inches (11.75 x 8 cm); manuscript on vellum written in several Gothic bookhands in black and red, 543 ff., initials in blue and red. ff. 99r-105 contain a calendar; the final three leaves bear a Computus, a calendrical calculator for Easter dates, the recto of the first leaf of this portion with early instuctional notes in Italian, the margin of the first calculator leaf with the date 1446 (presumably the date at which this section of the manuscript was prepared). Joints worn, some leaves in the first section (approximately 50 ff.), pale with some loss of ink, occasional minor staining and soiling elsewhere in the manuscript, generally in sound condition.
A very extensive breviary (probably intended for Franciscan use), assembled—though likely at a very early date—from multiple component parts, presumably prepared at different locations and dates. Such accreted breviaries are an interesting phenomenon; a similar example is shown at https://www.textmanuscripts.com/medieval/franciscan-use-dutch-breviary-79774, but the present specimen is far more extensive, with a substantially more diverse range of components. The first 99 ff. section of Psalms seems a little earlier than the rest of the work; it opens with a 18-line versal "P", and has a brief plainchant notation in the lower margin, and the second leaf also is elaborate and quite attractive. This first section is written as a single column of 27 lines. The Calendar (99r-105) has an early added entry for St. Anthony of Padua, apparently in the same hand that added the annotations in Italian to the Computus leaf at the end of the manuscript, so the manuscript must have seen use in Italy early on, though it does not appear to be Italian. After the calendar, the manuscript becomes two-column for the remaining 400-odd leaves, typically with 22-27 lines to the leaf. Several distinct hands are represented. Again, despite the occasional notes in Italian, the sections of the ms. are seem far more likely to have originated in the Low Countries.
The binder who bound the work for Alexander Penrose Forbes probably did the elaborate gauffering and painting of the text block. Forbes was a Scottish Episcopalian clergyman of prominence, Bishop of Brechin from 1847 until his death in 1875. An Oxford graduate, he was associated with John Henry Newman, Edward Pusey, and John Keble in the Oxford Movement. He was, at one point, prosecuted for heresy, though he was acquitted with a censure. His seal on this book reads "The Seal of Alexander Penrose Forbes D.C.L. Bishop of Brechlin Octr. 28th 1847."
Sold for $9,600
Estimated at $10,000 - $15,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
[MANUSCRIPT]
Breviarum [Romanum ad usum fratrum] Minorum. [Spine title]. Likely Southern Netherlands (though N.B. annotated in Italian at the end): 1446, dated here from the calendrical calculator at the rear. Bound in shagreen with metal fittings, an Irish bookbinding, the binder's name obscured by rubbing to the endpaper on which their name was stamped in gilt, but the address is still visible as 7 Castle Street Dublin; the rear cover with the blind-stamped seal of Alexander Penrose Forbes, Bishop of Brechlin, dated October 18th, 1847, the spine lettered Breviarium Minorum; all edges gilt, richly gauffered with concentric rectangles of red and blue painted on all three edges. 4 5/8 x 3 1/8 inches (11.75 x 8 cm); manuscript on vellum written in several Gothic bookhands in black and red, 543 ff., initials in blue and red. ff. 99r-105 contain a calendar; the final three leaves bear a Computus, a calendrical calculator for Easter dates, the recto of the first leaf of this portion with early instuctional notes in Italian, the margin of the first calculator leaf with the date 1446 (presumably the date at which this section of the manuscript was prepared). Joints worn, some leaves in the first section (approximately 50 ff.), pale with some loss of ink, occasional minor staining and soiling elsewhere in the manuscript, generally in sound condition.
A very extensive breviary (probably intended for Franciscan use), assembled—though likely at a very early date—from multiple component parts, presumably prepared at different locations and dates. Such accreted breviaries are an interesting phenomenon; a similar example is shown at https://www.textmanuscripts.com/medieval/franciscan-use-dutch-breviary-79774, but the present specimen is far more extensive, with a substantially more diverse range of components. The first 99 ff. section of Psalms seems a little earlier than the rest of the work; it opens with a 18-line versal "P", and has a brief plainchant notation in the lower margin, and the second leaf also is elaborate and quite attractive. This first section is written as a single column of 27 lines. The Calendar (99r-105) has an early added entry for St. Anthony of Padua, apparently in the same hand that added the annotations in Italian to the Computus leaf at the end of the manuscript, so the manuscript must have seen use in Italy early on, though it does not appear to be Italian. After the calendar, the manuscript becomes two-column for the remaining 400-odd leaves, typically with 22-27 lines to the leaf. Several distinct hands are represented. Again, despite the occasional notes in Italian, the sections of the ms. are seem far more likely to have originated in the Low Countries.
The binder who bound the work for Alexander Penrose Forbes probably did the elaborate gauffering and painting of the text block. Forbes was a Scottish Episcopalian clergyman of prominence, Bishop of Brechin from 1847 until his death in 1875. An Oxford graduate, he was associated with John Henry Newman, Edward Pusey, and John Keble in the Oxford Movement. He was, at one point, prosecuted for heresy, though he was acquitted with a censure. His seal on this book reads "The Seal of Alexander Penrose Forbes D.C.L. Bishop of Brechlin Octr. 28th 1847."
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, May 1, 2024
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Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on May 1, 2024 Totals $1.2 Million
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A Medieval Manuscript Rules of St. Augustine Achieves $102k
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
NEW YORK, NY -- Competitive bidding at Doyle’s May 1, 2024 auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps drove strong prices and a sale total that topped $1.2 million, surpassing expectations.
Featured in the sale was a fascinating selection of early manuscripts that achieved exceptional results. Highlighting the group was a 14th century manuscript of the Rules of St. Augustine from an English priory that soared over its $8,000-12,000 estimate to realize a stunning $102,100. The Rule of St. Augustine is among the earliest of all monastic rules, created about 400, and it was an influence on all that succeeded it. Other notable results included a 14th century Etymologiae of St. Isidore estimated at $5,000-8,000 that achieved $51,200 and a 15th century Prayer Book of Jehan Bernachier estimated at $10,000-15,000 that sold for $28,800.
A first edition of John James Audubon's octavo Birds of America sold for $41,600, far over its $25,000-35,000 estimate. Published in 1840-1844 in seven volumes, the first octavo edition was the final Birds of America publication overseen by Audubon in his lifetime.
The Fred Rotondaro Collection offered rare books and manuscripts on a range of subjects touching the African American experience in the United States over three centuries. A first edition copy of Frederick Douglass’ 1876 speech at the unveiling of the Freedman's Monument in Washington realized $12,800, far exceeding its $3,000-5,000 estimate. A first edition of the first issue of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin from 1852 also achieved $12,800.
Highlighting the range of offerings from the Ken Harte Collection of Natural History was a first edition Richard Bowdler Sharpe’s beautifully illustrated monograph of Kingfishers, 1868-71, that sold for $14,080, doubling its $6,000-8,000 estimate. It was accompanied by an inscribed copy of the rare unfinished chapter on the anatomy of the kingfisher by James Murie.
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact Peter Costanzo at 212-427-4141 ext 248, Edward Ripley-Duggan at ext 234, or Noah Goldrach at ext 226, or email Books@Doyle.com
