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

Cantus Siglum

US-NYcub Plimpton MS 040B

Holding Institution

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

Manuscript/Print

Manuscript

Summary

Fourteenth-century folio from a gradual originating in Italy. Square notation on 4-line ink-ruled red staves with custos. Parchment measuring 650 x 455 mm with 5 lines of text and music on the recto side and ten lines of text and music on the verso side. Formal gothic liturgical book hand. (Summary based on information from Digital Scriptorium 1.0)

Liturgical Occasions

Feast of St. Helena, Finder of the True Cross, Mother of Constantine the Great. (Aug 18)

Description

This folio contains the Introit for the mass of St. Helena. The Introit begins on folio 1r and continues on 1v. The recto contains a historiated initial and two staves of square notation with custos; the verso has five staves of square notation with custos.

The three-line historiated initial, which is rosy red with white tracery, occupies the upper half of the recto. It depicts St. Helena holding the True Cross in her right hand and a book in her left. She wears a gold-highlighted blue dress, a red robe, and a gold crown with a black, gold, and red halo. The letter has floral elements of blue and green foliage bordered with gold leaf.

Below St. Helena, two rabbits are depicted digging near three very small trees. The background shows a hilly landscape with two towers and a small church halfway up a hill. The sky is rendered in dark blue, studded with horizontally elongated gold stars. The decorated letter is enclosed in a gold-leaf frame. Above and to the right of the framed letter is a richly decorated floral spray in gold, blue, green, and red. emerges from a vertical bar on the left side. To the left of the letter is a solid vertical form composed of intertwining floral elements, with blue, red, green, and gold leaf. This upright decorative vegetal element is aligned with the shaft of the cross in Helena's hand.

The folio has been trimmed.

Full/Partial Inventory

Full Inventory

Complete Source/Fragment

Fragment