Manuscript leaf of Antiphonale Romanorum, 1450

Item — Box: 1, Folder: 5

Staff Only

Scope and Content

From the Collection: The Collection of Medieval Manuscripts, Early Prints, Religious and Historical art and scripture contains manuscripts, early prints, wood carvings, print illustrations, paintings, booklets, and newspaper articles ranging across seven distinct time periods from 1175-1980, the bulk from 1175-1643. A majority of these manuscripts were created in Italy, Germany, and France.

The first time period of these materials is The Romanesque period (1000-1150 A.D.), which contained styles of art and manuscripts that focused on the concept of visual storytelling through illustration and often focused on the Christian religion. Romanesque manuscripts are characterized by striking colors, historiated initials (an enlarged letter at the beginning of a section of text/paragraph that contains a picture and is decorated), and fully illuminated pages. Many of the people who looked at books during the Romanesque period could not read or write, so, the images on these manuscripts contributed to communicate the messages of the text. These illustrations also contained vivid colors that contrasted against the background of the manuscript in order to communicate the scene effectively. Romanesque manuscripts focused on the Bible, often bound into more than one volume. Each book was prefaced by a large historiated initial, and the psalter, a public worship book containing the “Book of Psalms” where major historiated initials were also illuminated. Items in this collection that were modeled after this particular time period is the manuscript, “The Book of Hours.”

The second time period covered by materials within the collection is The Gothic period. The Gothic Period refers to art and manuscripts developed during the Middle Ages (1150-1520 A.D.), which was a term that was first used in the 19th century; The term “gothic” is sometimes used to generally refer to all post-Romanesque art in Europe. The Gothic period placed an emphasis on earthy and natural materials, gruesome and horrific elements, and sexual and violent imagery. This particular style developed in Northern France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland before spreading to Spain, Portugal, and the rest of Europe in the 15th century.

The earliest Gothic art often revolved around the stories of the New and Old Testament, side by side, and depicted the lives of different Saints. Along with this, images of the Virgin Mary also changed to a form that appeared more human, caring, and affectionate, attempting to mirror the manners of a well-born aristocratic woman, instead of having the Virgin Mary sitting down and holding Christ on her lap. Works of secularity, which are works that are neutral in content regarding religion, also started to rise during this time. With the increase of cities in Europe, founding of universities, an increase in trade, the establishment of a money-based economy, the bourgeoisie (middle class) were finally able to afford to patronize the arts and commission arts, which led to a rapid production of paintings and illuminated manuscripts. Within this collection the items we have from this time period are the manuscripts, “Psalter with Commentary,” “Devotionale Treatise,” “The Golden Legend,” and “Antiphonale Romanorum.”

Another time period that this collection covers is The Scientific Revolution, which was a drastic change in scientific thought that took place during the 16th and 17th centuries, in which a new view of nature emerged which replaced the Greek view that had dominated science for almost 2,000 years. During this time, science became an autonomous discipline that was distinct from both philosophy and technology, and it came to be regarded as having utilitarian goals, and by the end of this period, it essentially replaced Christianity as the focal point of European civilization. The growing flood of information that resulted from the Scientific Revolution put heavy strains on old institutions, namely the Catholic Church, and practices because it was no longer sufficient to publish scientific results in an expensive book that only a few people could buy; information had to be spread widely and rapidly. The item in this collection from the Scientific Revolution is the print, “Phillip Hassail” from “Theatrum Europaeum.”

The fourth time period covered within the collection is the Renaissance, a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political, and economic “rebirth” that followed the Middle Ages that took place gradually from the 14th century to the 17th century; it often marks the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity. The Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature, and art. The Renaissance originated in Florence, Italy, which was a place with rich cultural history where wealthy citizens could afford to support new artists. Art, architecture and science were closely linked during the Renaissance and it was a unique time when these fields of interest fused together seamlessly.

Renaissance art was characterized by realism and naturalism, and artists strived to depict people and objects in a true-to-life way; they used techniques, such as perspective, shadows, and light to add depth to their work and emotion was another quality that artists tried to infuse into their pieces. As more people learned how to read, write, and interpret ideas, they also began to examine and critique religion as they knew it. A good portion of Renaissance art depicted scenes from the Bible or was commissioned by the church; there was an emphasis on naturalism, however, placing such figures as Christ and the Madonna in landscapes from the observable world. “Plate of Adoration of the Magi, from the Life of the Virgin,” is a print example within our collection from the Renaissance.

The collection also contains items from the Romantic era, which was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and peaked from 1800-1850. It stressed strong emotion as a source of aesthetic experience, specifically emotions such as trepidation, horror, and the awe that was experienced in confronting the sublimity of nature. The Romantic era elevated folk art, language, and custom, and argued for an epistemology (a theory of knowledge that is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge and belief) based on usage and custom.

Generally, Romanticism can be understood as a pursuit for the value of beauty on the part of humans because they have the faculty of emotion, intellect, and will. All of these pursue the values of truth and goodness, but when intellect is emphasized one-sidedly, such as in the Enlightenment, and when will is stressed, human beings naturally react with their faculty of emotion. Our collection contains two different items from the Romantic Era. The first piece is a print illustration entitled, “Sir Kenneth and the Dwarfs of the Chapel and Master Holdenough Interrupted in his Vocation” (French translation: “Le Chevalier Kenneth et les Nains de la Chapelle - Maître Holdenough interrompa dans su vocation” while the second piece is a “Mamluk Soldier Painting.”

Another portion of this collection contains items that were created after Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1440, which was an innovative device, operated by hand, that transferred ink to a print medium. This invention allowed for a rapid increase in the speed at which books could be produced, allowing print materials to become widely available to people of all classes, and not just for the wealthy. The lower classes were able to educate themselves through reading, which allowed their lifestyles to improve drastically. Because the printing press allowed books to be more easily produced which increased the number of schools, libraries, and universities, including the Bible, the literacy rate increased over time and more people started to read the Bible for the first time.

Gutenberg’s printing press used Gothic script letters; each letter was made on a metal block by engraving it into the base of a copper mould, and then filling the mould with molten metal. Individual blocks were arranged in a frame to create a text and then covered in ink. After this, a sheet of paper, made out of old linen and rags at the time, was mechanically pressed onto the metal blocks. After the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press, new types of presses began to appear.

The items within this collection that are examples of early prints created after the printing press are, “Numeri (Bible Book of Numbers, Chapter XXXIII),” “Liber Chronicorum,” “De Re Rustica,” “Vitae Illustrium Virorum (From Plutarch’s Lives),” “Herbarius Latinus,” and “Nicholas von Wyle Tranzlatzionelm oder Tutschunger des hochgeachtn Nicolai von Weil.”

This collection also contains items that are specific to the history and information regarding Gutenberg’s printing press, which include a booklet entitled, “Our Most Previous Heritage,” a newspaper article entitled, “How Gutenberg Paved the Way,” and a print copy of “The Gutenberg Bible.”

This collection additionally contains two Persian manuscripts that were created possibly in the the Samanid Empire through Ghaznavid Dynasty and possibly in the Qajar Dynasty.

The first manuscript is a Nastaliq 2-sided manuscript that is most likely from Shahnemah, (“The Persian Book of Kings”), from the 10th to early early 6th century B.C.E., created during the Samanid Empire and Ghaznavid Dynasty. Shahnameh is a long epic poem that was written by the persian poet, Ferdowsi, between c. 977 and 1010 CE; it is the national epic of greater Iran, and is one of the longest poems in the entire world that tells the mythical and historical past of the Persian Empire.

Persian manuscripts carry with them a long history of vivid storytelling and poetic power. Today, Persian is the language of Iran, but it has long been in an impressive geographic range and for diverse texts and traditions. During the Middle Ages, a virtuosic tradition of miniature painting was cultivated in Persian manuscript production which endured well into the modern period. Persian manuscripts were often characterized by a mesmerizing use of pattern, color, and composition marks an illumination practice.

We have another Persian manuscript in this collection from the Qajar Dynasty entitled, “Polo Game” created during the 19th-20th century. This particular manuscript is most likely an example of a Persian miniature and is a perfect example of artwork created during the Qajar Dynasty because it has an exuberant style and flamboyant use of color, it is rich in iconography, and tells a narrative of a past battle in Persian history.

The Qajar Dynasty was founded by Mohammad Khan and was the ruling dynasty of Iran from 1794 to 1925. The Qajar Dynasty introduced Western science, technology, and educational methods into Iran and some historians argue that the Qajars brought about the country’s modernization. In order to legitimize their rule over their Shiªi subjects, the Qajars emphasized Shi'i rituals and practices in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The Qajars represented themselves as patrons of Moharran rituals. They attended public mourning rituals, such as the rowzeh khani, taªziyeh, and shabih khani, and they financially supported such ritual observances. The dynasty fell in 1925 when Reza Khan became the prominent political personality in Iran while Ahmad Shāh was absent and deposed by the national consultative assembly in October of 1925.

Art during this time period is characterized by an exuberant style and flamboyant use of color, which was emphasized as the 19th century progressed. An important feature of Qajar art is the richness of its iconography, which are the visual images and symbols used in a work. Flowers (especially roses and irises), foliage, and fruit normally function as both the central and supporting motifs. Within these works, there are also views of pastoral landscapes and buildings that are inspired by imported European illustrations. Within these artworks are also many different narratives. Nostalgia for Persia’s past is reflected in these works, including traditional themes of Persian literature, and battles. Unique to the Qajar period, these images represent the survival of a tradition whose earlier history has been lost. During this dynasty and all of the years after, Persian, also known as Farsi, was used, which is a Western Iranian language that belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages.

The manuscripts, artwork, prints and newspapers within the Collection consist of topics regarding religion, secularity, legends, stories told through biblical paraphrase, revolution, the printing press, and Persian history. In regards to religion, this collection is extremely important to see how religious works developed from the Romanesque period, all the way through the Romantic period. All of these items within the collection are crucial to understanding the history of these mediums and how they reflect their distinct time periods.

Dates

Created: 1450

Access:

Open for research.

Extent

1 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

From the Collection: Persian

Additional Description

Type of Material:

Manuscript on vellum

Conditon Note:

Good. Material has yellowed/browned with age with a very small amount of staining around the edges.

Measurements:

16.3in x 11.5in

Title:

Anthiphonale Romanorum

Description:

This manuscript was made in a large upright Gothic type and the music is in Gregorian notation on vellum. Gregorian melodies are most often written using what is called neumes, which is an early form of musical notation; the modern-day four-line and five-line staff developed from this. Gregorian chant notations are the unison and solo chants of the Catholic Church, and their melodies move in one of the eight church notes without time, but with definite time values. At the end of every line, there is a small sign of a note, called a custos (also known as a guide) that indicates the pitch of the first note in the next line. In most Vatican editions, this custos serves as a pause. The notes themselves, called neumes, are a combination of two or more notes in a distinct group, and the most common neumes are combinations of the accèntus acùtus, and the accèntus gravis, which is a higher tone with a lower one and vice versa. The manuscript itself is entitled, “Antiphonale Romanorum.” The word ‘antiphonal’ in the music world means that there is more than one group of instruments/voices, and they are usually placed in different parts of the church or venue. This particular antiphonal is defined by eight different musical lines on the front and the back. On the front page, it defines its own page number by the Roman numeral. “CXVII,” which is 117 in Arabic numbers. The Gothic script of this manuscript contains tall, narrow, black letters that form straight, sharp lines, and is a religious chant. Even though this is an example of a manuscript made in the Gothic period, consisting of Gothic script, it contains aspects of a Romanesque manuscript, as well, with the historiated initials throughout the piece. On the front and back pages of the manuscript, there are decorated letters. On the front, there is an initial miniature of St. John the Baptist, which is defined by browns, gold, pinks, blues, reds, and greens, with some white mixed in. Decoration in medieval manuscripts was used to enhance the value and appearance of the piece, serve as a statement of importance, aid in literacy by offering a textual/visual component, and they would often aid in the interpretation of the piece. When an initial or a border is decorated, it is normally used to announce divisions or to highlight a section of importance. Rubrication is also used on the front and back of this manuscript, with the first rubrication being on the front page, where nine different words are fully written in red ink. On the back, two initials are written in blue ink and decorated with thin, red ink. The letters “B” and “P” are rubricated, as well as different symbols that come right before the decorated and rubricated letters.