PSALMS 45:5-12, AND 46:1-4

France, late 13th century. 125 x 88 mm. (4 7/8 x 3 1/2"). Single column, 15 lines in a gothic book hand.
Attractively matted. Folio number in red, several line enders in gold with blue penwork, 10 one-line initials in gold on blue and pink ground, one two-line initial painted pink and filled with blue and orange acanthus on gilt ground, verso with a three-quarter border branching from the larger initial, composed of pink and blue curling lines accentuated with gold spikes, bezants, and painted ivy leaves, UPPER BRANCH TERMINATING IN A WONDERFUL HYBRID CREATURE WITH THE FACE OF A MAN AND THE BODY OF AN ORANGE BEAST, AND THE LOWER BRANCH INCORPORATING ANOTHER FACE WITH A LONG BEARD. From the collection of Joseph Pope (his MS Bergendal 116), about whom see below. ◆A little soiling and staining along edges of vellum and a couple of small marks in lower margin verso, but in excellent condition overall, the paint especially bright and fresh.

From the distinguished collection of Canadian financier Joseph Pope (1921-2010), this charming leaf comes from a small-format Psalter intended for private use, and features two amusing drolleries incorporated into the marginal design. Pope's collection was sold by Sotheby's on 5 July 2011, where this leaf appeared as part of lot 115; it was later listed in Quaritch Catalogue 1422 (no. 88), which states that "according to [Pope's] note, this leaf was found tipped in to a much later Book of Hours (his MS Bergendal 64--produced in the southern Netherlands for a southern French patron during the first half of the 15th century--at f. 94, the middle of the Penitential Psalms); the manuscript was acquired by Pope at Sotheby's sale of 6 December 1983 (lot 79).".