Leaf from a hymnary

F-hzbu

Montreal, McGill Library Rare Books and Special Collections, MS Medieval 0215

General Information

Title Leaf of a hymnary
Shelfmarks MS Medieval 0215
Material Parchment
Script, Hands

Southern textualis praescissa with distinctive Spanish elements (leftward descender on the minuscule h, sharply angled a); straight, half-uncial d with a rather wide base; s is similarly wide.

General Remarks

McGill's catalog calls this an Italian Gradual, though it is most likely Spanish on paleographical grounds and the hymns have rubrics for the Office.

Original Condition

Page Height at least 773 mm
Page Width at least 392 mm
Height of Written Area at least 405 mm
Width of Written Area at least 274 mm
Number of Columns 1
Number of Lines at least 5
Ruling none
Numbering

none 

Current Condition

Extent 1 leaf
Dimensions 773 x 392 mm

Book Decoration and Musical Notation

Description

From McGill's Catalog: "One large initial (A) in inks - blue and red - on recto, 072x059 mm. The initial is blue, on red ground, containing curvilinear shapes; the ground's border contains meanders and double or triple bars. One large initial (A), on rectangular ground, in red and green colors of variuous shades. The red initial contains curvilinear shapes, in various shades of red. The ground contains acanthus leaves and two daisies, with gold leaf disks in their center, in various shades of green. The ground is bound by a narrow gold leaf border. 080x065 mm. The two initials were probably executed by two different hands."

  • Musical Notation

    Mensural notation on a five-line red staff, with somewhat inconsistent downward-pointing custodes. There are clearly written breves and semi-breves as well as COP ligatures. 

  • History

    Remarks

    From "an imperfect volume, which was in the Library of A. Edward Newton. P.W. and J. C. Redpath Fund, 1941."

    Bibliography

    • Holland, Anne Marie, compiler. "MS Medieval 215". Long Descriptions Ms Medieval Manuscript Antiphonals, Missals and Graduals. Digitization and Cataloguing Project- Antiphonals, Missals and Gradual. (Updated December 6, 2018). 32.