Add MS 57528

FRANCIS WORMALD MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. I. Pontifical of the metropolitan church of Apamea, Syria, written in the scriptorium of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem; 1228-1244. Latin. The manuscript is dated between the recovery and sack of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. The profession of obedience of the bishop-elect of Valania to the archbishop of Apamea in Syria, dated 1214 (f. 205), is irrelevant to the dating. See F. Wormald, 'The Pontifical of Apamea', Het Nederlands Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek (1954), pp. 271-279. Signed at the end by the scribe, Normandus (colophon, f. 204v). A sacramentary of the Holy Sepulchre written by the same scribe was identified by Wormald (Egerton 2902). See A. G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts (1979), no. 426. Owned in the 17th century by the Cistercians of Chaalis, diocese of Bayeux. See M. Andrieu, 'Le Pontifical d'Apamée', Revue Bénédictine 48 (1936), pp. 321-348. Wormald's ownership inscription, dated 1946 (f. i). Letters to Wormald relating to the volume are at f. ii.

Vellum; ff. iv+206. Sec. fol.: 'gestare facimus . . .'. 285 x 180mm. Three vellum flyleaves (ff. ii-iv), carrying near-contemporary prayers, ff. ii-iii former pastedowns made of palimpsest 12th-cent. liturgical fragments. Folio 206 also acted as a pastedown. Gatherings (26) of 8, except xxvi8 (lacks 2 and 7). Pricked and ruled (single bounding lines) in metal-point for single columns of 19 lines. Quire numeration and catchwords on final versos. Written space 171 x 107mm. Text is above top line. Script is an uncompressed Gothic textualis prescissa. Damaged binding of brown leather over wooden boards, with traces of two small diamond-shaped metal plates at the centre of the lower board, labelled 'Rituale Anni 1214' on the spine.

Decoration consists of a major historiated 4-line initial 'O', on a gilded foliate ground, containing a bust of a bishop in the act of blessing (f. 1). Minor 2/4-line initials of gold outlined in blue, or of blue or red, with simple contrasting blue or red flourishing, with similar 1-line litterae notabiliores.

Bindings: Damaged late medieval binding: 14th-16th cent.

Art. Illuminations and Drawings BYZANTINE: Liturgies LATIN: Jerusalem: Art. Illuminations and Drawings SYRIAC: Apamea metropolitan church of, in Syria: Art. Illuminations and Drawings LATIN KINGDOM: Normandus, scribe, active in Jerusalem, 13th cent: Pontifical of Apamea, from the scriptorium of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem , copied by Normandus: 1228-1244: Lat.