Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts
MS. 34
Roman de la Rose
Contents:
-
Roman de la Rose
author:Gullaume de Lorris
extent:ff. 1r-26v
incipit:
Maintes gens dient que en songez
explicit:
Car ie nay mais ailleurs fiance
decoration:On f. 1r 14-line illuminated initial. On a red field containing golden floral flourishes rests a blue letter with gold flourishes over the first words of the Roman written in gold. The capital contains a miniature depicting an author seated on a high-backed wooden chair writing in a book resting on his knees. Two onlookers stand next to and behind the chair on a blue-green tiled floor. Two books rest on a shelf beneath four open windows arranged two over two, with the right-most windows having two shutters opened inward. A multi-colored floral border runs along both sides of the initial. The inside border continues down the the text to the bottom of the column and across the bottom of the first column of text. On f. 1r under the second column of text is inscribed a coat of arms consisting of gules, 3 escallop shells on an argent field. Two line gold initials on alternating red and blue backgrounds begin new sections throughout the text.
-
Roman de la Rose
author:Jean de Meun
extent:ff. 26v-140
rubric:
Cy finyt mestre guillaume de Saint
Amour Et apres icy commencha
Mestre ihani de meun dit clopinel.
incipit:
Et si lai ge perdue espoir
explicit:
Atant fut iour & ie mesveille
decoration:Two line gold initials on alternating red and blue backgrounds begin new sections throughout the text.
Date of origin:Second half of the fifteenth century.
Place of origin: Normandy, France
Support:
Parchment codex
Foliation:
Modern foliation in brown ink in the upper right corner.
Dimensions:300mm x 222mm (leaves), 205mm x 152mm (ruled space)
Collation:iii 1-88 94 10-128 134 14-188 194 i Catchwords are written vertically in the lower right corner at the end of each gathering.
Script:Text in French Gothic textualis rotunda. There are many changes in ink, but no clear change of hand.
Binding:16th century Italian brown morocco binding over oak boards, covered with black leather sides ornamented with blind tooled arabesque borders enclosing an ornamental lozenge.
Additions:Three leaves on heavy parchment with 18th or 19th century calligraphic "title page" and notes tipped in at front. One blank leaf of parchment tipped in at back.
Provenance:Arms of the Fraidel family on fol. 1. Bookplate of Ambroise Firmin-Didot with date 1850 on front pastedown. The manuscript was sold at the Didot sale, 3rd portion, 1881. Bookplate of James P.R. Lyell on front pastedown. Also owned by Moss and Butler. Sold in Sotheby's sale March 2, 1937.
| 