humanistic hand

[56] ITALIAN ILLUMINATOR: c. 1460-70.

Illuminated leaf on vellum from a Psalter, with Gospel extracts. With two 3-line initials in gold with interlaced branchwork in white on parti-coloured ground, blue, green and red. 17 versals in burnished gold or blue on pen drawn grounds of pink or pale mauve.
Written by Pietro Ursuleo of Naples in a fine humanistic hand in black ink, with some words in a pinkish red ink. 19 lines to a page, lightly ruled in light brown.
Size of leaf: 168 x 122 mm.

[See Illustration]

£400

An attractive leaf in excellent condition, from a manuscript of high quality. The name of the scribe identified by Dr. A. C. de la Mare from a signed leaf of this manuscript in the University of Western Australia.

Pietro Ursuleo, who died in 1483, was a scribe in Naples from 1448 and bishop of Satriano from 1474; he worked for Alfonso and Ferdinand of Aragon and later for Pope Sixtus IV. It is rare to find a liturgical manuscript at this period in a pure roman hand. Small repair to blank corner, otherwise fine.

[57] (-------). Another leaf from the same Psalter, c. 1460-70.

With 76 initials in blue or gold; with pen drawn background in pale ink written in double columns.
Size of leaf: 158 x 122 mm.

[See Illustration]

£400  

A leaf from the Litany, which suggests that the Psalter was written on behalf of a patron from NE. Italy, since the leaft names saints associated with Ravenna (Eleucadius), Forli (Mercurialus), Fano or Bologna (Paternianus) and (?) Rimini (Gaudentius).