Rare books from Littera Scripta

During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries a number of factors influenced the development of writing styles. Gothic minuscule script, as on this leaf, came about from the need to quickly produce books for the rapidly increasing level of literacy of the early 13th century. New universities were founded, each producing books for business, law, grammar, history and other pursuits, not exclusively religious works for which earlier scripts typically had been used. Its predecessor, Carolingian minuscule, while supremely legible, was time-consuming to write and consumed a lot of manuscript space.
Parchment and fine vellum were very costly, so scribes compressed the letters to make the most of the space available. The resultant compacted, angular script, given the name gothic minuscule, was popular with the scribes who had taken over much of the copying task from the churches. Parisian and other commercial workshops produced "pocket bibles" for the clergy and wealthy academics.
The parent book of this leaf… Read More

Recto: 50 lines of Latin text written in two columns in a gothic bookhand on high quality vellum. Ruled in red, some versal initials touched in yellow. Two fine illuminated three-line initials in blue, black, salmon and white, detailed with burnished gold begin Chapters 23 and 24. Chapter numbers and heading EXO (half the running title EXODUS) in blue and red. A bar border of blue, black, salmon and white runs the length of each column of text. Radiating into the margins are decorations of ivy leaves in blue and red finished with burnished gold. The bar border of the right column terminates with a dragon's head. Scholars' notes in gothic bookhands in the right margin.
Verso: As Recto, with one illuminated initial, one chapter number, one bar border and an extremely delicate pen decoration touched with salmon in the centre space.
Source: Paris, France
Date: c. 1300-1325
Content: The leaf is from the Old Testament Book of Exodus. Accompanying notes contain selections of the content which includes Moses… Read More

An original post incunable leaf with splendid woodcut headers and initials from the gazetteer of a French edition of the "Geographica".
The most popular geographical work to be printed from movable type in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was Ptolemy's Geographica or Cosmography. Originally compiled by the Alexandrian geographer, astronomer, and mathematician Claudius Ptolemy in the second century A.D., it was translated from Greek into Latin in Florence, Italy about 1410. Ptolemy lived from approximately 90 to 170 AD and worked in the library at Alexandria from 127 to 150 AD.
Verso: A leaf from Book 8 with a woodcut page header which depicts an angel supporting a scroll bearing Ptolemy's name and two scholars at either end with dividers and a rule. One 7-line woodcut initial "E" with an elaborate internal foliate design. Printed on laid paper in a roman typeface, paginated 148, marginal notes in an italic font.
Recto: As Verso, with three four-line woodcut initials and a slightly different… Read More

"The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just."
Recto:Six lines of music written on parchment in square neumes on red-ruled four-line staves with a key signature. Rubrics in red. The accompanying text is written in Latin in a refined gothic rotunda bookhand. One illuminated initial - "L" - in blue with decorative red penwork.
Verso: As Recto with two illuminated initials and a number CLXXIIII in the margin.
Source: Probably Spain
Date: Early part of the 16th century - c. 1525
Content: The leaf includes part of the Gregorian chant Os Justi (The mouth of the righteous). The text is taken from two verses of Psalm 36 (KJV 37) and reads: Os justi meditabitur sapientiam: et lingua ejus loquetur judicium. Lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius: et non supplantabuntur gressus ejus. (The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart: and his feet do not falter.
Condition: The Recto of this leaf is in very good condition with… Read More

Large & finely illuminated leaf in the style of a Book of Hours.
Recto: Double column text in Latin written in an assured gothic bookhand in black ink on parchment. Ruled in red, with rubrics in red. One splendid two-line initial 'S' in blue outlined in black with white penwork on a burnished gold ground, infilled with a foliate design. Beside the initial is a six-line marginal panel of coloured acanthus leaves, flowers and leaves in the style of a Book of Hours. Three two-line initials in burnished gold on red and blue grounds highlighted with white penwork and alternating red and blue one-line initials.
Verso: As Recto, with three two-line illuminated initials, one with a marginal panel.
Origin: Spain or Southern France.
Date: Early part of the 15th century, c. 1425
Content: The initial 'S' beside the illuminated panel begins the mass for the Feast of St. Stephen. The text - taken from Psalm 131 (KJV 132) - reads: Sacerdotes eius induam salutari et sancti eius exsultatione exsultabunt. Memento,… Read More

Artist: Kuniteru II (1829 - 1874)
Title: "The First Steam Train in Japan".
Date:1872.
Medium: Colour woodblock print on washi paper.
Notes: This 2-4-0 tank engine was the one that started the railway age in Japan. It was one of a group of ten locomotives built by various manufacturers in Great Britain to work Japan's first railway opened between Shimbashi (Tokyo) and Yokohama in 1871. It was built by the Vulcan Foundry of Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, and still survives today in the Japanese railway museum. This woodblock print portrays it as it appeared when it first ran. It is widely believed that the Imperial Japanese Government Railways used a livery of light brown or golden ochre for its locomotives imported from Britain.
Japanese artists, including Hiroshige, were fascinated by this technological marvel and Kuniteru II produced several woodblock prints of this momentous event in Japan's history.
Condition: The print is in fair/good condition. The paper has darkened over the years, there are… Read More

Sienese easel painter and manuscript illuminator Sano di Pietro (1405-1481) was the head of a workshop that fulfilled the demands of civic and religious institutions in the city. His production, technically always of a very fine quality, was rich in decorative effects and characterised by a brilliant palette. His work as an illuminator is documented from the end of 1445 when he decorated a Psalter for Siena Cathedral.
Provenance: The dimensions and style of this leaf almost perfectly match those of a missal in Bruce Ferrini, Catalogue 1 (1987), no. 45, Use of Rome, illuminated by Sano di Pietro and doubtless from Siena.
Recto: Rubrics in red and capitals touched in yellow. Original foliation "XXIII" in red pen. Text written in two columns in black ink on vellum in Latin in a precise, gothic script. Three two-line decorated initials alternating in red with blue pen flourishes and blue with red pen flourishes and a number of similar one-line initials. One three-line illuminated initial 'F' in blue,… Read More

Bifolia are much scarcer than individual leaves. This is a very good example of an early 15C Italian decorated Missal.
The term "octave" is applied to a period of eight days, during which certain major feasts - such as the Ascension here - are observed.
Originally, several books were required for the celebration of Mass: the Sacramentary for the officiating priest, the Lectionary for the principal assisting ministers, and the Antiphonary for the choir. When these were assembled in one book, the volume was called a complete Mass-book (Missale plenum), the Missal.
Description: Rubrics in red. Text written in two columns of 26 lines on vellum in Latin in two sizes of a precise, gothic script. Eleven two-line alternating red and blue initials with contrasting penwork. Three such one-line initials. Capitals touched in yellow.
Origin: Italy.
Date: c. 1420.
Content: The text includes the Octave of the Ascension on the first folio, followed by rubrics for the seasonal instructions in red; the second folio… Read More

Verso:Text in Latin written in two columns on high quality vellum in black ink in three sizes of an assured Gothic bookhand. Pricking marks on the right margin. Ruled in red, rubrics in red and some initials touched in yellow. Eight exquisite two-line illuminated initials in pink and blue outlined in black and finished with fine white penwork. The initials are on highly burnished gold grounds and infilled with a variety of coloured foliate designs. Four have illuminations radiating into the margins of black tendrils bearing coloured acanthus and other flowers, green leaves and burnished gold ivy leaves and bezants.
Recto: As Recto, with a further nine equally fine two-line illuminated initials.
Origin: Northern France/Flanders, for the Use of Sarum (Salisbury).
Date: c.1475
Content: The illuminated initial 'C' at the bottom of the left column on Verso begins the antiphon:
Convertimini ad me in toto corde vestro in jejunio et fletu et planctu ait dominus et scindite corda vestra et non… Read More

"afflict not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, nor oppress them unjustly"
Recto: Latin text written in black ink on fine vellum in an extremely precise gothic minuscule script in two columns of 47 lines. Ruled in red, versal initials touched in red. Heading 'RE' (half of the abbreviated running title of 'IERE' (IEREMIAS), and chapter numbers in red and blue. One five-line initial 'H' and one two-line initial 'V' in blue and red with intricate red and blue penwork embellishments extending the full length of the page. Interestingly, in the right margin are words that the scribe originally omitted and has added later. (see Notes).
Verso: As Recto with the heading 'IE' and one two-line coloured initial 'V'. The decorative penwork from the initial extends the length of the page, as Recto.
Origin: Northern France, doubtless Paris.
Date: Mid-13th century, c. 1250.
Content:The text on Recto beginning Chapter 22 at the red initial 'H' reads:
Haec dicit Dominus descende in domum regis Iuda et… Read More

From the last of the highly decorative steel engraved atlases of the 19th century.
Decorative foliate border with nine vignettes of Cossaks, Esquimaux Dog-sledge, Mount Hekla, Beavers, Niagara Falls, Convoy of Diamonds, Ancient Monument Mexico, North American Indians, Wapiti Deer.
The map has original outline colour of boundaries added by hand. Centre fold as issued. Top and bottom margins trimmed hard, just touching the border decoration, but otherwise in excellent condition, a crisp impression. Verso blank. Unconditionally guaranteed original. Image area c.330 x 260 mm.

Recto:Double column text in Latin written in an assured gothic bookhand in black ink on parchment. Ruled in red, with rubrics in red. One splendid two-line initial 'N' in blue outlined in black with white penwork on a burnished gold ground, infilled with a foliate design. Beside the initial is a six-line marginal panel of coloured acanthus leaves, flowers and leaves in the style of a Book of Hours. Three two-line initials in burnished gold on red and blue grounds highlighted with white penwork and alternating red and blue one-line initials.
Verso: As Recto, with six two-line illuminated initials and without a marginal panel.
Origin: Spain or Southern France.
Date: Early part of the 15th century, c. 1425
Content: The rubrics at the illuminated initial 'N' read : Sancti petri ad vincula , signifying the beginning of the mass for the Feast of St. Peter in Chains, traditionally celebrated on August 1st. The text reads: Nunc scio vere, quia misit Dominus Angelum suum : et eripuit me de manu Herodis,… Read More