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Add MS 24917

Record Id:
032-002032226
Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
032-002032226
MDARK:
ark:/81055/vdc_100000000043.0x0000e5
LARK:
SLARK:
Format:
ISAD(G)
Reference (shelfmark):
Add MS 24917
Title:

An early-fifteenth-century manuscript written in Alsace, featuring a History Bible made of the Weltchronik by Rudolf von Ems (b. c. 1200, d. 1254), and the Buch der Könige alter ê, a history of the Old Testament kings.

Scope & Content:

A German History Bible made from the Weltchronik by the Austrian poet Rudolf von Ems (c. 1200 – 1254), with the so-called Schwabenspiegelfassung of the Buch der Könige alter ê: a book in which the Old Testament kings are presented as examples for contemporary rulers. The manuscript is written in an Alsatian dialect and was illustrated in Alsace as well: it features more than 200 illustrations, many featuring unusual themes, executed by an artist from the milieu of the so-called ‘Alsatian Workshop of 1418’.

Contents:

ff. 2r-10r: Table of Contents for the History Bible and the Book of Kings.

ff. 11r-12v: Prologue.

ff. 12v-292v: Rudolf von Ems, Weltchronik in prose.

ff. 293r-360v: Anonymous, Buch der Könige alter ê.

f. 361r: Excerpts from Ludolf Smid, Schatkamer der Nederlandsche Oudheden (Amsterdam, 1711), written by Joannes Warnaars.

ff. 361v-363v: Biblical citations in Dutch, written by Joannes Warnaars.

Decoration:

Numerous (200) miniatures without frames illustrating the History Bible and the Book of Kings featuring themes rarely or not found in the image cycles of other History Bibles. The illustrations were executed by a single artist associated with the highly prolific 'Alsatian workshop of 1418' in colours (green, red, yellow and brown only). Two shields have been illuminated with gold (ff. 193v, 271v). All illustrations feature the same background of green and red foliate decoration. One large historiated initial in gold, with penwork in blue and red, featuring Christ enthroned and an angel in colours and gold (f. 11r). One large initial in blue and red (f. 293r). Numerous small initials in red and blue.

Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Project / Collection:
Additional Manuscripts
Hierarchy Tree:
[{ "id" : "032-002032226", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Add MS 24917: An early-fifteenth-century manuscript written in Alsace, featuring a History Bible made of the Weltchronik by Rudolf von Ems (b. c.…" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
Hierarchy Record Ids:
032-002032226
Is part of:
not applicable
Hierarchy:
032-002032226
Container:
not applicable
Record Type (Level):
Fonds
Extent:

Parchment codex

Digitised Content:
Languages:
Dutch
German
Scripts:
Latin
Start Date:
1400
End Date:
1499
Date Range:
c 1420
Era:
CE
Access:

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User Conditions:
Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript
Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Paper.

Dimensions: 365 x 270 mm (text space: 245 x 195 mm).

Foliation: ff. 363 (+2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the end).

Script: Gothic.

Binding: Original 15th-century binding, brown blind-tooled leather with five brass bosses on both sides.

Custodial History:

Origin: Alsace, c. 1420.

Provenance:

Coenraat Moryaan and Anna Myenhuys, before 1711: Purchased from them by Joannes Warnaars in 171.

Joannes Warnaars, in 1711: his name inscribed (f. [ii]), with an explanation that he purchased the manuscript on 11 October 1711 at a fair in Delden (The Netherlands, Central Eastern).

Thomas and William Boone (fl. 1815-1870), antiquarian booksellers: Purchased from them by the British Museum on 12 July 1862 for £ 30 (inscription f. [ii]).

Publications:

Robert Priebsch, Deutsche Handschriften in England, 2 vols (Erlangen: Junge, 1896–1901), II, pp. 213-14 (no. 260).

Hans Vollmer, Ober- und mitteldeutsche Historienbiblen, Materialien zur Bibelgeschichte und religiösen Volkskunde des Mittelalters I, 1 (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1912), pp. 113-14 (no. 42).

Urich-Dieter Oppitz, Deutsche Rechtsbücher des Mittelalters, 4 vols (Cologne: Böhlau, 1990), II: Beschreibung der Handschriften, p. 654 (no. 955).

Lieselotte E. Saurma-Jeltsch, Spätformen mittelalterlicher Buchherstellung: Bilderhandschriften aus der Werkstatt Diebold Laubers in Hagenau, 2 vols (Wiesbaden: Reichert, 2001), I, pp. 80-83 (no. I.55).

Hella Frühmorgen-Voss, Norbert H. Ott and Ulrike Bodemann, Katalog der deutschprachigen illustrierten Handschriften des Mittelalters, Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 7 vols (Munich: Beck, 1991-2008) 7/ 1-2: 59 Historienbibeln (2008), ed. by Ulrike Bodemann, pp. 81-84, fig. 14 (no. 59).

Material Type:
Archives and Manuscripts
Legal Status:
Not Public Record(s)
Related Material:

From the Catalogue of Additions (1877): '1. HISTORICHE Bucher des alten Testaments: a Bible-history from the creation to Solomon and Acouias, after the manner of the "Historia Scholastica." The preface, which begins "Richer got von himelrich," is the same as that of a Bible-history in Egerton MS. 856, but the two works otherwise differ. At f. 250 b, the author states that the work was undertaken at the instance of the Emperor Conrad [IV. 1250-1254]. The table of chapters at the beginning is slightly mutilated. f. 2.

2. "Der kunigen buch:" a history of the patriarchs and kings of the Jews, and of the Maccabees, Darius, Alexander, Antiochias, etc. Beginning, "Wir sullent dis buch beginnen mit gotte." f. 293.

3. In a later hand.-Notes in Dutch on Bible-history, preceded by notes from the "Schatkamer der Nederlandsse Oudheden" of Ludolf Smids [Amsterdam, 1711], f. 361. Paper; xvth cent. With numerous rudely executed coloured drawings, and, on f. 11, a large illuminated initial. In the original leather binding with brass bosses. Belonging to Joannes Warnaars in 1711. Folio.'