Leaf from a Romanesque Portable Lectionary In Latin, manuscript on vellum [Italy, first half of the 11th century]

Leaf from a Romanesque Portable Lectionary In Latin, manuscript on vellum
[Italy, first half of the 11th century]

213 x 145 mm

Description
A near-complete leaf with 19 lines in a remarkably fine and rounded Romanesque bookhand, with a strong st-ligature and a ‘z’ with an undulating top, occasional early features such as et-tligature used integrally
at end of a single word, rubrics in elegant red or black capitals recalling Carolingian examples, capitals infilled in red, simple red initials.

Condition
Recovered from reuse as pastedowns in a later binding, some stains and faded areas, occasional parts of versos illegible under normal light, trimmed at innermost edge of leaf, a few natural holes in vellum, otherwise in fair and presentable condition.

Provenance
1. Sold by Maggs Bros. of London in 1969.