Saxony, Ludolph of; Gerson, Jean; and others.
An exceptional large medieval manuscript on vellum, extending over 5 volumes, containing Saxony´s powerful and influential Life of Christ, with other texts, coming to us with an exceptional medieval provenance, and later in the collections of three prominent 19th century English booksellers and collectors (including Sir Thomas Phillips). The Vita Christi occupies roughly 90% of the 5 volumes, it is one of the most important works of literature of the Christian world.
Further images
Five volumes, folio, (265 x 175 mm). I: i+191+ii (i-xxiii8, xxiv8-1, last blank cancelled), II: ii+136+ii (i-xvii8, last leaf blank), III: ii+205+ii (i-xxv8, xxvi6-1, last blank cancelled), IV: ii+177+ii (i-xxi8, xxii10-1, last blank cancelled), V: ii+181+ii (i-xxii8, xxiii8-3, last 3 blank leaves cancelled), original foliation in a mixture of roman and arabic numerals in red ink (in vol.III two leaves between 83 and 84 that are not included in the foliation are marked ‘Ø’, and in vol.V ‘78’ is repeated, and the x stops at 120, the end of the Vita Christi section), large puzzle initials including coats of arms at beginning of books, some flourished and mostly simple initials in plain red, vellum often wrinkled, some minor restorations, overall excellent condition. Uniformly bound in nineteenth-century brown morocco by Lewis (according to a pastedown inscription, although unsigned), tooled in blind to style, raised bands to spine, lettered in gilt, with some minor wear and scuffing.
Provenance:
(1) Made for, and perhaps at, the Celestine Monastery of St Mary, Colombier- le-Cardinal, in the Ardèche, between Lyon and Valence, founded in 1361 by Cardinal Pierre Bertrand de Colombier: each book begins with a large initial enclosing his arms (argent, between three mullets gules, on a chevron gules bordered azure, two affronted doves [colombes] argent, the whole surmounted by a cardinal’s hat, gules); vols.II-V also have their ownership inscription on the last page: ‘Iste liber est Celestinorum beate Marie de Columbario, signatum .xii. [‘13’, ‘xiiii.’, ‘xv’ respectively]’; the order was suppressed in 1773 and the house was closed in 1778.
(2) Thomas Thorpe, London bookseller: apparently offered in several catalogues from 1828 to 1831, and 1832 no.806 ('806' in pencil on upper pastedown).
(3) SIR THOMAS PHILLIPPS, doubtless bought from Thorpe’s 1832 catalogue, but perhaps mislaid and not catalogued before 1869; his nos.21445–9: with the usual inscription and label at the foot of each spine; sale, Sotheby's, 10 June 1896, lot 843, £10, to Rimell.
(4) The Library of William O'Brien (1832-1899), Dublin.
(5) Sotheby’s, 2017, London.
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