Hagiography

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Accession number:

MS M.736

Title:

Hagiography

Created:

Bury St. Edmunds, England, ca. 1130.

Binding:

19th-century olive-brown morocco, gold-tooled to a Renaissance design and lettered on upper cover: Vita Martyrium et Miracula Sancti Eadmundi Regis Angliae Codex M.S. Saec. XII.

Credit:

Purchased by J.P. Morgan (1867-1943) in 1927.

Description:

100 leaves (1 column, 32 lines), bound : vellum, ill. ; 274 x 187 mm

Provenance:

Probably made at the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds; George Roche (16th century signature on fol. 2); W. Stonehouse (17th century signature on fol. 1 and 5); John Towneley (his sale, London, R.H. Evans, June 8, 1814, lot 904) to Booth; Payne & Foss; sold to R.S. Holford (catalogue 1841, lot 1); Sir George Holford; purchased by J.P. Morgan (1867-1943) for the Pierpont Morgan Library from the Holford Estate in 1927.

Notes:

Ms. miscellany on the life of St. Edmund; written and illuminated in the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, ca. 1130
Texts: Henry I, King of England, letter to Anselm, abbot of Bury St. Edmunds, forbidding him from going on a journey (fol. 2); Talebot, prior of Bury St. Edmunds, letter to Anselm, abbot of Bury St. Edmunds begging him to return from Normandy (fol. 2-3); records of pittances given to the monks by Anselm, abbot of Bury St. Edmunds (fol. 3-4); offices of the Catholic Church for St. Edmund (fol. 5-6); Miracula Sancti Edmuni regis et martiris (fol. 23-76); Passio Sancti Edmundi (fol. 77-86); offices of the Catholic Church for St. Edmund (fol. 87-100).
The Miracula Sancti edmundi regis et martiris has been attributed to Osbert of Clare, but it is based on an earlier compilation by Herman the Archdeacon--Cf. PML files.
Musical notation: the offices of St. Edmund contain 3-line staves in red ink with neumes.
Artist: the Alexis Master and his workshop.

Variant Title:

Vita martyrium et miracula Sancti Eadmundi regis Angliae

Script:

minuscule

Language:

Latin

Resources:

Description/Bibliography

Genres:

Hagiographies

Historiated initials

Illuminated manuscripts