Bifolium from a large Romanesque Missal with cantillation marks most

Bifolium from a large Romanesque Missal with cantillation marks most probably used to guide performance of the text during Easter, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum, [Italy, mid-twelfth century], two conjoined leaves, text in single column of 28 lines of two sizes of a handsome Romanesque bookhand, with occasional biting curves and written above topline, capitals often tall and thin, red rubrics, one-line red initials, larger initials in red infilled or stroked in pale yellow and green wash, second leaf with modern pencil foliation ‘15’, one small flaw in vellum, natural losses to lower outer corner of both leaves, small spots and stains, else in excellent condition, 315 x 215mm. *** This manuscript is an early witness to the performance of certain Easter texts in church, and thus the earliest recorded Western European dramatic performance. At least by the tenth century, bishops had begun authorising the dramatisation of some parts of the biblical narrative in an attempt to involve parishioners in the story of the Passion. The superscript cantillation marks here appear to have been part of this dramatic direction, with the ‘c’, ‘s’ and ‘t’ perhaps meaning ‘cantor’, ‘clericus’ or similar, and ‘subdiaconus’, ‘sacerdos’ or similar. Alternatively, they may well indicate the intended intonation or speed of the delivery of the text (meaning ‘celeriter’ or ‘clare’, ‘sonoriter’ or ‘sursum’, and ‘trahere’, or similar). For this, see E.C. Dunn, ‘Voice Structure in the Liturgical Drama’, in Medieval English Drama, 1972, pp. 44-63; K. Schlager, 'Passion’, in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik, 2nd ed., 26 vols., 1994; and S. Rankin, ‘An Early Eleventh Century Missal Fragment Copied by Eadwig Basan: Bodleian Library, MS. Lat. Liturg. D. 3, Fols. 4-5’, Bodleian Library Record, XVIII (2004), especially pp. 231-2. This bifolium appeared as Sotheby’s, 8 July 2008, lot 2, and was acquired by the present owner soon after that sale.

Estimation:€955.54

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