Bifolium from an antiphonary, between 1175 and 1225

Date:

1175

Description:

Bifolium from a late 12th- or early 13th-century antiphonary, probably written in northern France. The bifolium is from a quire in the Sanctorale cycle, mostly consisting of the beginning and ending of chants In dedicatione ecclesiae (for the dedication of the church; at least one bifolium is missing between the facing leaves of this bifolium), preceded by chants for the feast of the Decollation of John the Baptist (August 29) and followed by chants for the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (September 8). 11 lines of neumes arranged on a staff above chant text written in Gothic textualis script now remain on each page; probably one line of musical notation and text is missing at the bottom of each page due to damage. The staves are ruled in drypoint but the F-line of each staff is ruled in red ink. In six places where the scribe resets the placement of the F-line, four small letters are written in a column to indicate the pitch values of the staff. Three simple decorative initials in red, initials at the beginning of chants touched with red, and rubrics in red. The bifolium was probably used as a wrapper or as endleaves.

Language:

Latin

Provenance:

Sold by Justin Croft Antiquarian Books (Faversham, England), Paris 2020 catalog, item 18.

Relation:

The Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund Home Page: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366271; The Otto E. Albrecht Memorial Fund Home Page: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366183

Subject:

Gregorian chants -- Manuscripts

Form/Genre:

Fragments (object portions); Antiphonaries; Gregorian chants; Manuscripts, Latin; Manuscripts, Medieval; manuscripts (documents)

Physical Description:

1 bifolium (2 leaves) : parchment; 215 x 165 mm.

Rights:

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

In Latin.; Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Otto E. Albrecht Memorial Fund.; Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Coll. 591 Folder 51

Collection:

Manuscript Fragment Collection; Otto E. Albrecht Memorial Fund; Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund