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Detailed record for Royal 1 E IV
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| Title |
Bible (Octateuch) |
| Origin |
England, S. |
| Date |
c. 1340 - c. 1350 |
| Language |
Latin |
| Script |
Gothic |
| Decoration |
1 miniature in colours and gold next to the initial for Genesis (f. 12v), 8 historiated initials in gold and colours, at the beginning of other biblical books (ff. 1, 80v, 135, 175v, 232, 285, 321v, 359), and 2 foliate initials in colours and gold, at the beginning of the prologues to Joshua and Ruth (f. 284, 358v), with full or partial bar-borders with foliate extensions. Initials in gold on rose and blue grounds with penwork decoration in white. Chapter numbers and running titles alternately in red and blue. First letters of verses highlighted in yellow or red and yellow. Sketches of leaves next to initials (ff. 204, 205v, 228v). |
| Dimensions in mm |
445 x 290 (320 x 210), in two columns |
| Official foliation |
ff. 364 + 1* (+ 2 unfoliated medieval parchment flyleaves at the beginning and at the end, 1 unfoliated modern paper flyleaf attached to the first medieval flyleaf at the beginning and 1 unfoliated modern paper flyleaf at the end; f. 1* is a medieval parchment flyleaf). |
| Form |
Parchment codex |
| Binding |
BM/BL in-house. |
| Provenance |
Verses in Latin 'Si quid preclarum faciens laborem...', 16th century (f. 1*v).
Thomas Wolsey (b. 1470/71, d. 1530), royal minister, archbishop of York, and cardinal: 'TC' monogram, perhaps for Thomas Cardinalis (see Carley 2000, p. xxxiii), 16th century (f. 1).
The Old Royal Library (The English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number, 'No.1286' (f. 1), included in the inventory of books in the Upper Library at Westminster of 1542.
Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. |
| Notes |
Catchwords, quire signatures in upper or lower margins, guide numbers for chapter numbers, numerous corrections and corrector's signatures 'corr' next to catchwords.
According to Michael A. Michael, this manuscript was designed as part of a set of four volumes comprising the entire text of the Bible. The present manuscript is the only one to have survived intact, but detached leaves from the third volume (Proverbs to Job) are dispersed in various collections worldwide (Sotheby’s 1980).
A maniculum (little hand), drawn in brown ink, occurs in the margin of f. 159v, next to the statement: 'Et uxorem fratris sui nullus accipiet' ('Nobody may marry his brother's wife'). This suggests that the volume may have been consulted by Thomas Wolsey (who owned it in the 16th century), or by another supporter of Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. See Henry VIII: Man and Monarch, ed. by Susan Doran (London: British Library, 2009), no. 109 [exhibition catalogue]. |
| Select bibliography |
George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), I, p. 19.
Eric G. Millar, English Illuminated Manuscripts of the XIVth and XVth Century (Paris: Van Oest, 1928), p. 83.
Hans Swarzenski, 'The Anhalt Morgan Gospels, Art Bulletin, 31 (1949), 77-83 (pp. 77-78).
Walter de Gray Birch and Henry Jenner, Early Drawings and Illuminations: An Introduction to the Study of Illustrated Manuscripts (London: Bagster and Sons, 1879), p. 8.
Sotheby’s, London, sale catalogue, Western Manuscripts and Miniatures, 10 December 1980, nos. 3 and 4.
Lucy Freeman Sandler, Gothic Manuscripts 1285-1385, 2 vols, A Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 5 (London: Harvey Miller, 1986), no.100.
The Libraries of King Henry VIII, ed. by J. P. Carley, Corpus of British Medieval Library Catalogues, 7 (London: The British Library in association with The British Academy, 2000), H2.1264, p. xxxi, n. 33.
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch, ed. by Susan Doran (London: British Library, 2009), no. 109 [exhibition catalogue].
Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination (London: British Library, 2011), no. 18 [exhibition catalogue]. |
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f. 1
Jerome |
f. 1
Jerome |
f. 12v
Days of Creation with Adam and Eve cycle and Crucifixion |
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f. 12v
Adam and Eve |
f. 12v
Days of Creation with Adam and Eve cycle and Crucifixion |
f. 12v
Days of Creation with Adam and Eve cycle and Crucifixion |
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f. 13
Text page |
f. 80v
Moses and the Israelites |
f. 80v
Moses and the Israelites |
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f. 135
Sacrifice |
f. 135
Sacrifice |
f. 159v
Text page |
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f. 175v
Moses and Christ |
f. 175v
Moses and Christ |
f. 232
Aaron |
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f. 232
Aaron |
f. 259v
Illuminated initial |
f. 284
Illuminated initial |
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f. 285
Joshua |
f. 285
Joshua |
f. 321v
Judah |
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f. 321v
Judah |
f. 358v
Foliate initial |
f. 359
Elimelech and Naomi |
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f. 359
Elimelech and Naomi |
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