Bible: MS 289.III

Titles

Bible

Maker(s)

Production: Masters of Zweder van Culemborg

Entities

• Bible

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, 462 fols. (modern pencil foliation 1 – 100, 100a, 102 – 461); 217 x 162 (134 x 96) mm, ruled in pink ink, 2 columns, 29 lines, running headers, quire signatures, catchwords.

BINDING: fifteenth century, doeskin chemise, red leather (replacement of 1987) over wooden boards, five metal bosses on upper cover, four out of original five metal bosses on lower cover, two catchplates on upper cover, slits in chemise and remains of leather straps on lower cover, traces of label on upper cover, arms of Lochorst held by angel painted on all three edges; repaired and rebound by the Cockerell bindery in 1987

CONTENTS: fol. 1r – v Contemporary list of contents in red ink; fols. 2r – 66v Bible, Macc I – II, with prologues; fols. 67r – 336v New Testament; fols. 338r – 460r Interpretation of Hebrew names.

DECORATION: Twenty-three framed column miniatures and 28 historiated initials, often related in subject-matter, with full or partial foliate bar borders and/or floral, acanthus and spraywork borders for books and prologues: fol. 5r I Macc, Alexander the Great on his deathbed divides his kingdom among his barons; fol. 39v Capitula to II Macc, Battle scene, standard of the victorious army displaying Lochorst arms (erased); fol. 42r II Macc, High Priest praying at altar; fol. 67r Prologue to Matt, [M, 8 ll.] St Matthew writing at desk, angel holding inkhorn; fol. 67v Matt, [L, 8 ll.] Tree of Jesse; fol. 101r Prologue to Mark, St Mark writing at desk, lion beside him; fol. 122v Luke, St Luke censing altar, ox at his feet and [F, 8 ll.] St Luke reading; fol. 159v Prologue to John, [H, 8 ll.] St John writing, using eagle as lectern; fol. 160v John, St John reading, using eagle with scroll as footstool; fol. 188r Prologue to Acts, [L, 6 ll.] St Luke writing at lectern, ox on ground; fol. 188v Acts, Ascension; fol. 189r Acts, [P, 9 ll.] St Peter with key and book; fol. 225v Apoc, St John seated before church, holding scroll and inkhorn; fol. 242v Prologue to Epistles, [N, 6 ll.] Cleric kneeling in prayer at lectern with open book; fol. 243r James, Christ holding orb speaking to St James represented as pilgrim; fol. 247r I Pet, [P, 9 ll.] St Peter with key; fol. 250v II Pet, [S, 8 ll.] St Peter with key; fol. 253r I John, St John writing at desk, messenger with spear beside him and [Q, 8 ll.] Eagle with scroll; fol. 256v II John, [S, 6 ll.] St John blessing cup with serpent; fol. 257r III John, [S, 7 ll.] St John holding cup with serpent; fol. 258r Jude, [I, 13 ll.] St Jude holding saw; fol. 259r Rom, St Paul with sword looking at kneeling messenger with spear, [R, 7 ll.] Angel praying, and [P, 8 ll.] Angel seated in meditation, in border monkey in a foxglove looking at its face in a mirror; fol. 273v Prologue to I Cor, [C, 4 ll.] bust of man and I Cor, St Paul seated at desk conversing with messenger; fol. 274r I Cor, [P, 8 ll.] St Paul reading; fol. 287v II Cor argument, [P, 7 ll.] Angel praying and II Cor, Messenger bringing letter to St Paul; fol. 296v Gal, [G, 7 ll.] Man pointing up; fol. 297r Gal, St Paul writing at desk, messenger holding on to chair; fol. 301v Eph, St Paul handing sword to messenger; fol. 306r Phil, St Paul receiving news from messenger and [P, 6 ll.] St Paul holding sword and book; fol. 309r Col, [C, 5 ll.] Angel playing flute; fol. 309v Col, St Paul with sword conversing with man; fol. 312v I Thess, St Paul receiving letter from messenger and [T, 7 ll.] Angel playing lute; fol. 315v II Thess, St Paul reading at desk and receiving letter from messenger; fol. 317r I Tim, [T, 6 ll.] Timothy as bishop, bear playing flute in border; fol. 317v I Tim, St Paul writing, book at his feet, and looking up at Timothy; fol. 321r II Tim, St Paul with book receiving letter from messenger; fol. 323v Tit, St Paul writing, messenger holding spear; fol. 325r Philemon, [P, 5 ll.] St Paul with book and sword; fol. 325v Philemon, St Paul writing, messenger on left, landscape behind curtain; fol. 326v Heb, St Paul with book and sword, kneeling messenger; fol. 360v Interpretation of Hebrew names, [B, 5 ll.] Bust of old man praying; fol. 370r Interpretation of Hebrew names, [C, 5 ll.] Bust of man praying; fol. 412r Interpretation of Hebrew names, [L, 5 ll.] Bust of man; fol. 452r Interpretation of Hebrew names, [T, 5 ll.] Bust of man.

ORNAMENTATION: Blue or pink white-patterned initials [4 – 8 ll.] with foliate infill on gold grounds for some biblical books and prologues; blue initials [1 – 10 ll.] with red pen-flourished infill and extensions, and occasional voided ornament (fol. 326r); capitals highlighted in red.

Notes

History note: Made for a member of the prominent Utrecht family of Lochorst (arms on edges); given by Sarah and Robert Wight to Maria Mathews in 1866, and by her to her sister Ann Byam Wight in 1871 (inscriptions on paper inserts formerly in MS 289.I, now kept on file); Rev. E.S. Dewick (1844 – 1917); his bequest, 1917.