Unbekannt - Antiphohonarblatt - 1600

Large original antiphonal sheet on parchment (ca. 15th/16th c.) – handwritten illumination & square notation

Item description:
For sale is an impressive, double-sided hand-described single leaf from a historical antiphonary (liturgical choral book). The leaf impresses with its craftsmanship and the very good preservation of the colors.
Material: Real parchment (animal skin), characteristically wavy with a lovely natural patina.
Age: Estimated 15th to 16th century (late Middle Ages/early modern period).
Content: Liturgical chants for the feast of Saint John the Baptist. Includes central passages such as “Johannes in deserto” and the birth narrative (“Elisabeth Zacharie magnum virum genuit”).
Script & notation: Black textura/rotunda script with red rubrication. The music is notated in the classical square notation on four red lines.
Special features:
Double-sided (recto/verso).
Several hand-painted initials, including a particularly magnificent red Lombard initial “E” with fine inner work and filigree ornamentation.
Large format (ideal decorative object for collectors).

Condition:
For its age, very good. The parchment is stable, the ink deep black, and the vermilion red of the lines and initials strong and hardly faded. Minor age-related edge flaws that underscore its authenticity.
Dimensions: 58x40 cm