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Psalter Lewis E 186
Free Library of Philadelphia
Manuscript Overview
References
Binding Images

Abstract

This compact Psalter was produced in Germany in the mid-thirteenth century. It contains the Latin text of the Psalms, preceded by a calendar that can be localized to Hildesheim. The text of the Psalms is followed directly by the Canticles, Athanasian Creed, Litany and Collects, and an abbreviated Office of the Dead, the end of which is lacking. An unidentified Latin prayer is written in a different hand on the recto side of the final folio. The large initial B for Psalm one, depicting King David with his harp (fol. 7v), is intact, as are two further historiated initials at the habitual divisions (Psalm 38, fol. 49r; Psalm 80, fol. 97v). Early marginal notations in German and an obit in the Calendar for a certain Anna Vremans provide evidence of early ownership and use.

Physical Description

Support: Parchment; Extent: 195; 152 x 115 mm bound to 156 x 115; Foliation: Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto; Collation: 1 (8, -7 -8), 2-4 (8), 5 (8, -4), 6-8 (8), 9 (8, -3 -4), 10 (8), 11 (8, -4), 12-15 (8), 16 (8, -1 -2), 17 (8), 18 (8, -4), 19-23 (8), 24 (10), 25 (10, +1 +10); Signatures: Original signatures consisting of Roman numerals in red ink, numbered II-XXV, visible in lower center of folios: 14v, 22v, 30v, 37v, 45v, 53v, 61v, 67v, 75v, 82v, 90v, 98v, 106v, 114v, 120v, 128v, 135v, 143v, 151v, 159v, 167v, 175v, 185v, 195v

Layout

One column of sixteen lines, ruled in brown ink; written area: 103 x 78 mm

Script

Gothic--semitextualis

Decoration

One ten-line historiated initial (fol. 7v), two five-line historiated initials (fols. 49r and 97v), two-line illuminated flourished initials throughout, single-line initials in red, green, and blue throughout

For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.

Notes

Late fifteenth- or early sixteenth-century binding is not original to this manuscript, but is a well-preserved example of a late medieval binding; the blind-tooled fleur-de- lis within a lozenge pattern was a typical type of decoration in the fifteenth and sixteenth century; the binding maintains its original clasps

Several repairs in parchment; at least ten leaves, five of which would have contained illuminated initials, appear to be lacking: two leaves between fols. 6 and 7 (final page of calendar and an additional page); one leaf between fols. 33 and 34 (end of Psalm 25-beginning of Psalm 26); two leaves between fols. 63 and 64 (end of Psalm 50-beginning of Psalm 52); one leaf between fols. 78 and 79 (end of Psalm 67-beginning of Psalm 68); two leaves between fols. 114 and 115 (end of Psalm 96-beginning of Psalm 98); one leaf between fols. 131 and 132 (end of Psalm 108-beginning of Psalm 110); at least one leaf after fol. 194 containing the conclusion of the Office of the Dead

Marginal notes in a northern German dialect

An obit in the calendar for October (fol. 6r) reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace"

These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.

Spine

Fore edge

Top edge

Bottom edge

Keywords
Psalter
German
Germany
13th century
Christian
Biblical
Scripture
Illustration
Free Library of Philadelphia

Place of Origin

Hildesheim?, Germany

Date

Calendar contains Saint Ludger of Munster (26 March, fol. 2v), Saint Godehard of Hildesheim (5 May, fol. 3v), his translation (6 May, fol. 3v), and two entries for Bernward of Hildesheim (16 August, fol. 5r, and 20 November, fol. 6v); early marginal notes in a northern German dialect; Dr. Volkert F. Faltings of the Ferring Stiftung corrected the opinion expressed by Wolf (1937, p. 205) that the marginal notes were in a Frisian dialect: see personal correspondence preserved in curatorial file; mid-12th century

Binding

Late-fifteenth- or early-sixteenth-century, blind tooled pigskin with fleur-de-lis stamps within lozenge pattern, filleted border with rosettes, two decorated metal clasps; flush with book block

Language

Latin; Middle High German (ca. 1050-1500)

Provenance

Anna Vremans? (14th-century); John Frederick Lewis, Philadelphia; given by his widow, Anne Baker Lewis, to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1936; an obituary in the calendar for October (fol. 6v) reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace"

return to search Psalter Lewis E 186

Place of Origin

Hildesheim?, Germany

Date

Calendar contains Saint Ludger of Munster (26 March, fol. 2v), Saint Godehard of Hildesheim (5 May, fol. 3v), his translation (6 May, fol. 3v), and two entries for Bernward of Hildesheim (16 August, fol. 5r, and 20 November, fol. 6v); early marginal notes in a northern German dialect; Dr. Volkert F. Faltings of the Ferring Stiftung corrected the opinion expressed by Wolf (1937, p. 205) that the marginal notes were in a Frisian dialect: see personal correspondence preserved in curatorial file; mid-12th century

Language

Latin; Middle High German (ca. 1050-1500)

Provenance

Anna Vremans? reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace" (provenance)

Manuscript Overview

Abstract

This compact Psalter was produced in Germany in the mid-thirteenth century. It contains the Latin text of the Psalms, preceded by a calendar that can be localized to Hildesheim. The text of the Psalms is followed directly by the Canticles, Athanasian Creed, Litany and Collects, and an abbreviated Office of the Dead, the end of which is lacking. An unidentified Latin prayer is written in a different hand on the recto side of the final folio. The large initial B for Psalm one, depicting King David with his harp (fol. 7v), is intact, as are two further historiated initials at the habitual divisions (Psalm 38, fol. 49r; Psalm 80, fol. 97v). Early marginal notations in German and an obit in the Calendar for a certain Anna Vremans provide evidence of early ownership and use.

Notes

Late fifteenth- or early sixteenth-century binding is not original to this manuscript, but is a well-preserved example of a late medieval binding; the blind-tooled fleur-de- lis within a lozenge pattern was a typical type of decoration in the fifteenth and sixteenth century; the binding maintains its original clasps

Several repairs in parchment; at least ten leaves, five of which would have contained illuminated initials, appear to be lacking: two leaves between fols. 6 and 7 (final page of calendar and an additional page); one leaf between fols. 33 and 34 (end of Psalm 25-beginning of Psalm 26); two leaves between fols. 63 and 64 (end of Psalm 50-beginning of Psalm 52); one leaf between fols. 78 and 79 (end of Psalm 67-beginning of Psalm 68); two leaves between fols. 114 and 115 (end of Psalm 96-beginning of Psalm 98); one leaf between fols. 131 and 132 (end of Psalm 108-beginning of Psalm 110); at least one leaf after fol. 194 containing the conclusion of the Office of the Dead

Marginal notes in a northern German dialect

An obit in the calendar for October (fol. 6r) reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace"

Script note

Gothic--semitextualis

Decoration Note

One ten-line historiated initial (fol. 7v), two five-line historiated initials (fols. 49r and 97v), two-line illuminated flourished initials throughout, single-line initials in red, green, and blue throughout

For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.

References
Binding Images

These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.

Spine

Fore edge

Top edge

Bottom edge

Keywords
Psalter
German
Germany
13th century
Christian
Biblical
Scripture
Illustration
Free Library of Philadelphia
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