Created:
England, perhaps London, ca. 1470.
Binding:
Rebound by Deborah Evetts. Formerly in 18th-century English full brown Russia tooled in gold, 6 elephants on back (device of Andrew Fountaine), lettered: Gower MS.; in green levant morocco solander case lettered: Gower - Confessio amantis - MS. on vellum saec. XV, now preserved separately.
Credit:
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), 1903.
Description:
213 leaves (2 columns, 46 lines), bound : vellum, ill. ; 440 x 320 mm
Provenance:
No known original owner; on fol. 78r: Grace? Seyton made thys (15th-16th century); in 1693 owned by Sir Richard Mauleverer (d. 1713) of Allerton Mauleverer, York (inscription on first leaf); ca. 1700 in the library of Peter le Neve (1661-1729); then to his executor, Thomas Martin (1697-1771) who married Frances, le Neve's widow ca. 1732; purchased by Thomas Worth, chemist, ca. 1771; purchased by Briggs Fountaine of Narford, Norfolk before 1777 (signature on last leaf); Fountaine Collection (Catalogue 1777, no. 37); Fountaine sale (London, Sotheby's, July 12, 1902, no. 378) to Quaritch; purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) from Quaritch in 1903. Thomas Worth cut out 9 of the miniatures and sold them to Sir John Fenn (1739-1794); Arthur Frere; his sale (London, Sotheby's, Dec. 14, 1926, no. 379) to Maggs; purchased by J.P. Morgan (1867-1943) from Maggs in 1927 and restored to M.126 (on fols. 26v, 54v, 65r, 122r, 141r, 143v, 165v, 169r, and 171A). Four other miniatures were excised at an unknown time and restored (on fols. 146r, 172r, 173r, and 187v).
