New York City (NY), Columbia University - Butler Library - Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Plimpton MS 040C

Cantus Siglum

US-NYcub Plimpton MS 040C

Holding Institution

New York City (NY), Columbia University - Butler Library - Rare Book and Manuscript Library (US-NYcub)

Manuscript/Print

Manuscript

Summary

Five non-sequential leaves from a thirteenth-century Dominican gradual originating in Genoa, Italy. Square notation on 4-line ink-ruled red staves. The parchment, measuring 465 x 330 mm, was written in formal Gothic liturgical bookhand.

Liturgical Occasions

Purification of Mary (Purificatio Mariae), Feasts of St. Matthias, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Gregory the Great, St. Benedict, Annunciation of Mary, and De corona Domini

Description

A collection of individual folios from one Dominican gradual.

Folio 1 – Purification of Mary (Purificatio Mariae).
Foliated XVII in red and blue in upper margin.
The verso side of the first folio is better preserved than the recto. Alternating red and blue pen-flourished initials with pen flourishing marks new chants. Ink from the recto side has bled through the parchment, and the staff lines appear inconsistent, particularly along the left edge, where double ruling is visible in places.
The recto has incipits for several additional masses; unfortunately these are mostly illegible due to trimming. One addition (for Saint Ignatius?) appears roughly contemporary to the manuscript; four other sets of mass incipits (two above and two below) are written in an early modern hand, but their feasts are no longer legible.

Folio 2r – Feast of St. Matthias
This folio retains its original foliation (XXIII) in alternating red and blue numerals at the top. Each chant begins with a pen-flourished initial. The bottom of the page shows wear, and a tear at the base has been repaired with modern tape. The number “23” is written in Arabic numerals in the upper right-hand corner. While the text and musical notation show some wear, they remain legible.

Folio 2v – Feasts of St. Matthias, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Gregory the Great, St. Benedict, and the Annunciation of Mary.
This folio contains chants celebrating several saints’ feast days. The feast of St. Thomas Aquinas appears as a later addition, indicating that the manuscript was in use before his canonization in 1325.

The rubrication for the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas (added in the left margin) has been trimmed, showing further evidence that the leaf has been cut down. In the margin, below the addition of the feast of Thomas Aquinas, an early modern hand has added the incipits for the propers of the Mass on two more feasts, with Arabic numerals indicating where the chants were to be found elsewhere in the manuscript, but these indications of formularies are largely incomplete. In the body of the text, Roman numerals written above the chants in the Middle Ages have been struck through and replaced with Arabic numerals from the same era as the additions in the left margin.

There is a small tear near the center of the lower margin, and a "$50" price has been written in the bottom right corner.

The historiated initial on this folio depicts the Annunciation of Mary. God is shown in a gold-leaf oval, much of which has flaked off, surrounded by a larger irregular circular design wearing a red tunic and blue robe. His right hand appears to be blessing Mary, and he is holding an open book emitting white rays toward Mary in his right hand. Mary has a gold halo, white veil, red gown, and blue robe. Mary and the angel Gabriel both stand under trefoil arches, separated by a slender column. Mary's right hand is held up as she holds a closed red book and faces toward Gabriel, who is blessing with his right hand and pointing towards Mary's book. Gabriel is similarly depicted with a gold halo, red robe, and blue tunic. The background is dark red with architectural detailing. The "R" initial is dark blue with white tracery and small white circles on its right side. The frame is red with white tracery, and each corner features either a maple leaf or a roundel. The floral spray extends vertically over seven staff lines.

Folio 3r – Annunciation of Mary (Annuntiatio Mariae)
Rubricated XXIIII in upper margin.

This folio continues the original rubrication system. Its left edge shows heavy wear, with what could be stitching holes, suggesting it was once sewn into a binding. There is a faint image of an illumination that may be from transferred pigment from the facing leaf (f. 2v).

Folio 3v – Annunciation of Mary (Annuntiatio Mariae)
The staff lines on this page are more even than on previous leaves, although the text shows similar deterioration to f. 1r and f. 1v. One pen-flourished initial begins a chant on this side.

Folio 4r – Crown of the Lord (De corona domini), John at Latin gate (Joannis Port. Lat. )
Foliated CVI in upper margin.

The folio features a large blue pen flourished initial "I" introducing the chant "In media. " Extensive cascading pen flourishing alternating between red and blue ink spans the full length of the page. Similar to earlier folios, there is perforation in places from corrosion caused by iron gall ink.

Folio 5r – John the Baptist
Foliated CXI in upper margin.
This page's historiated "D" initial is filled with red, green, white, and gold leaf floral designs set against a dark blue background with white tracery. The "D" is white with black tracery and red and green bands and circular motifs along its vertical bar. The background of the illumination is red with white tracery, framed in gold leaf and black ink. The border sprawl extends from the top of the page to just below the halfway point.

This folio shows signs of structural repairs, including a patch of parchment applied to a missing corner and tissue paper reinforcement visible from the verso side.

Folio 5v – John the Baptist
All the staves on this page have an F-clef.

Alternating red and blue pen-flourished initials mark new sections. This side shows less wear than the recto.

Full/Partial Inventory

Full Inventory

Complete Source/Fragment

Fragment