Bifolium from a large gradual manuscript containing chants for the Mass, probably written in Spain in the 16th or 17th century. The bifolium seems to be from the center of a gathering, with continuous text (f. 1r-2v); however, chants probably for Feria Sexta in Parasceve (Good Friday, f. 1r-2r) precede chants for Quadragesima Sunday (the first Sunday of Lent, f. 2r-2v), so the order of the leaves is uncertain. The layout of each page, ruled in lead, is 6 lines of Gregorian chant tunes in square notation on a five-line staff in red ink with underlying text written in round Gothic textualis praescissa script. The bifolium's decoration includes 4 decorated initials that are the height of the text and staff together (red on a ground of blue penwork, f. 1r; blue on a ground of red penwork, f. 1v; blue and red on a ground of half red and half purple penwork, f. 2r; strapwork with touches of green, f. 2v), touches of green on initials following decorated initials and internal majuscule initials, and rubrication in red. Minor flaking of the black ink used for square notation and text. The first leaf has a possible signature, iii.iiii°, written in ink in the lower right corner.
Language:
Latin
Provenance:
Gift of Julie Nelson Davis, Professor, History of Art, University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), 2020.; Davis, Julie Nelson, 1963- donor.
The Penn Libraries makes materials accessible to improve information equity and enhance teaching, research,
and learning. See our Sensitive Materials Statement
for more information.