COLLECTION NAME:
Medieval Document Collection
Record
Identifier:
exwsms217_bk
Manuscript Identifier:
MS 217
Title:
Miniature Devotional Book
Alternative Title:
MS 217
Incipit:
representatis [passionis?] domine in qua corpus eius [vene?] prosens pro ... nostris offendur.
Author:
Catholic Church
Origin Date:
approximately 1500-1869
Origin Location:
Germany?
Description:
A miniature manuscript containing numerous contributions. The manuscript contains religious texts, liturgical and literary interests, and major life events of the contributors. The first contributor begins the manuscript with three leaves of prayers in Latin, and on ff. 228-229r records the autobiographical details of the scribe: his birth in 1643, his education and work history, marriage in 1673, births and deaths of children. Fol. 1r-139v are prayers, offices of the dead, Matins, Lauds, and Vespers, Psalms and litanies, mainly in Latin but with twenty leaves in German. The version of the offices of the dead is unidentified. A contributor identifies himself after transcribing a German prayer, on f. 142v as "Joannes Eberhardus / Laurentinus / 1587". On ff. 152r-221v, Eberhardus also adds a full-page miniature, ecclesiastical texts including Bede's Prayer on the Seven Last Words of Christ, prayers to be recited during the Elevation of the Host and various indulgences. He concludes with a brief biographical outline of himself on f. 221 and additional notes on f. 222. The final contributor added text on the final fly leaves: he identities himself as Joaquin Jose de Abreu, a native of Guimaraes, Provincia de Minjo, Portugal and writes of his acquisition to the book, his eventual residency at the College of S. Marcos, and passing the book on to the next contributor, Joaquin Eugenio da Costa Salles Ferreira of Lisbon. Also included are full-page miniatures. Most leaves are severely and unevenly cropped with loss of text.
Provenance:
Based on evidence of the text, the manuscript was rebound in the 17th or eary 18th centuries. The second writer, identified as Eberhardus, dates his contribution as 1587. Because his contributions are written on both vellum and paper, it may be that Eberhardus was the compiler or editor, having attached his own work to a manuscript written nearly a century earlier. The final contributor's hands are estimated to be 19th century and hint at the manuscript's provenance: Joaquin Jose de Abreu, a native of Guimaraes, Provincia de Minjo, Portugal, who obtained the book in 1859 from a Father at the Jesuit College of Toulouse. Joaquin Jose de Abreu passed the book on to Joaquin Eugenio da Costa Salles Ferreira of Lisbon, whose inscription notes that the gift took place in 1869. The manuscript was purchased by Western Michigan University Special Collections in 2024.
Extent:
approximately 237 leaves
Subject:
Manuscripts, Latin
Subject:
Manuscripts, Medieval
Subject:
Miniatures (Illuminations)
Subject:
Catholic Church--Prayers and devotions
Subject:
Devotional literature
Subject:
Illumination of books and manuscripts
Subject:
Prayer books
Subject:
Miniature books
Language:
lat
Language:
ger
Dimensions:
62 x 45 mm
Material:
vellum
Material:
paper
Foliation:
fol. (vii), 139, (8), 82, (iii)
Binding:
Bound tightly in full black calf over boards, with paper end leaves. Cover is heavily worn. Ruling in lead throughout. Edges of each leaf in red. Some leaves clearly show a distinction between the hair-side and the flesh-side. A single leaf between about f. 122 and f. 123 excised, only a stub remains.
Decoration Description:
The main text opens with a 5-line gilt letter C. Later, about f.70v, a 4-line letter D with decoration, mostly worn away. A series of three-line and two-line initials starting on f. 100r, alternating red and blue. Single and two-line initials throughout, alternating red and blue, some with flourishing. Rubricated in red. Some initials touched in red. On f. 84v, a full-page devotional depiction of Christ as the Man of Sorrows, and on f. 120v, full-page depiction of the crucifixion (heavily worn and water damaged), captioned with "Hinc lactor ab ubere". On f. 119r-119v and f. 122r-v, text written in German and entirely in red with blue one-line initials. About f.140r and following, script changes. Main text in dark ink with single-line initials in red. On about f.150r is a full-page miniature of Joannes Eberhard's heraldic coat of arms in a blue frame. Text around the outside the frame is partially cropped. Starting on ff. 152v, presence of catchwords. Manicula on about f. 216r and 219r.
Contributor:
Laurentinus, Joannes Eberhard, active 1587
Contributor:
Joaquin Jose de Abreu, active 1859
Contributor:
Eugenio, Joaquin, active 1869
Description of Hands:
The text is written in a variety of hands. Text in the first several pages of the book is written in a later hand. The main text is written in a small, neat Gothic script. Starting about f.140r, texts are written in modern hands.
Additions and Marginalia:
Contemporary pagination in ink (mostly cropped), modern pagination in pencil, upper left verso of most leaves.
Is Part Of:
Medieval Document Collection
Publisher:
Western Michigan University
Date-Issued:
2024
Type:
Text
Format:
image/tiff
Rights Statement:
Rights Status:
No Copyright - United States
Access Rights:
Digital reproduction published by Western Michigan University and made available for private study, scholarship or research use under applicable U.S. Law. Access to digital reproductions provided by Special Collections at Zhang Legacy Collections Center, Western Michigan University.