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Historiated initial from an Antiphoner: Marlay cutting It. 40

An image of Cutting (manuscript)

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Historiated initial from an Antiphoner

Maker(s)

Scribe: Veneziano, Venturino
Artist: Battista da Udine, Giovan

Entities

Categories

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, 152 x 138 mm, two lines of fragmentary text and two fragmentary four-line musical staves ruled in red ink on reverse.

CONTENTS: The initial O would have introduced the antiphon to the psalms for first Vespers at Epiphany in the liturgy of San Marco, Venice, O admirabile commercium, creator generis humani animatum corpus sumen, de Virgini nasci dignatus est; a fragment of its continuation is on the reverse, [et procedens homo sine semine largitus] est nobis [suum deitatum].

DECORATION: Historiated initial formed of acanthus and grotesque profiles on burnished gold ground: [O] Adoration of the Magi.

Notes

History note: Basilica of San Marco, Venice

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1912) by Marlay, Charles Brinsley

Dating

16th Century, third quarter
Circa 1567 CE - Circa 1572 CE

People, subjects and objects depicted

Project

  • Cambridge Illuminated

Materials used in production

Gold

Components of the work

Support composed of parchment

Techniques used in production

Illumination

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: Marlay cutting It. 40
Primary reference Number: 176549
Project ID: 1384
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 16 June 2025 Last processed: Thursday 14 August 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Manuscripts and Printed Books

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Historiated initial from an Antiphoner" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/176549 Accessed: 2025-12-05 04:50:27

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/176549 |title=Historiated initial from an Antiphoner |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 04:50:27|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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