Language
Origin
Sweden, 16th century, first half (before 1546)
Physical description
Format: Non digital + Digital, reformatted digital
- Script: Cursive script, two hands both from c. 1525-50; hand 1: ff. 1r-117v; hand 2: f. 117v-282r.
- Collation: 32 quires: I: 5 (ff. ii-5; f. i is separate), II: 10 (ff. 3-12), III: 8 (ff. 13-20), IV: 8 (ff. 21-28) V: 8 (ff. 29-36), VI: 14 (ff. 37-50), VII: 8 (ff. 51-58), VIII: 10 (ff. 59-68), IX: 8 (ff. 69-76), X: 8 (ff. 77-84), XI: 10 (ff. 85-94), XII: 12 (ff. 95-106), XIII: 12 (ff. 107-118), XIV: 10 (ff. 119-128), XV: 10 (ff. 129-138), XVI: 10 (ff. 139-148), XVII: 6 (ff. 149-154), XVIII: 8 (ff. 155-162), XIX: 10 (ff. 163-172), XX: 6 (ff. 173-178), XXI: 8 (ff. 179-186), XXII: 10 (ff. 187-196), XXIII: 10 (ff. 197-206), XXIV: 8 (ff. 207-214), XXV: 12 (ff. 215-226), XXVI: 8 (ff. 227-234), XXVII: 9 (ff. 235-243), XXVIII: 6 (ff. 244-249), XXIX: 8 (ff. 250-257), XXX: 8 (ff. 258-265), XXXI: 8 (ff. 266-273), XXXII: 9 (ff. 274-282; last leaf glued to lower cover as pastedown). The first quire (ff. ii-v is actually not cut in the upper margin, it is folded but not sewn. Some leaves are missing before f. 1; the index starts at chapter 17.
- Foliation: Foliated in ink in upper right corner in the 19th century.
Notes
Literature
Konung Christoffers Landslag Samling af Sweriges Gamla lagar utg. af C. J. Schlyter (ed.) Lund, 1869, pp. xxiii-xxiv (this manuscript has not been used in the edition). 12.
Book binding
Binding: Gold-tooled brown calfskin binding. Sweden first half of the 17th century, rebacked 20th century. (cfr. Lindberg 1980 pp. 17 sqq., 48 sqq. and 258). Size: 106 x 115 x 55 mm.
Brown calfskin binding over bevelled wooden boards. Rebacked with fragments of former back preserved and corners of the covers restored. Two engraved metal hook-clasp fastenings at fore-edge. Rounded spine. Tight back with two raised bands. Embroidered endbands of linen. Trimmed edges. Pastedowns of parchment (restored). Inner joints restored with Japanese paper. Two labels of cloth and paper respectively with tooled library codes mounted on the inside of the lower cover. All along sewing on two cords laced through the boards.
The covers are gilt (oxidised) with a large frame of multiple thin and thick fillets and a repeated roll of meeting cornucopias. The central panel is tooled to a centre and corner design with pomegranates and a lily. The back is tooled into panels of blind double line fillets.
Decoration
In the secondary text, the initials of each chapter are calligraphically designed in brown ink; small geometric endpieces on ff. 29v , 119v , and in the shape of a small cross on f. 156v ; scribbled pattern on f. 1r .
Primary decoration consists of the lower parts of eight illuminated and gilt initials (see detailed description), and 222 penflourished initials of exceptional quality (cfr. front pastedown and ff. 1v, 2r, 3r, 4v, 5r, 5v, 9v, 11r, 12r, 13r, 13v, 14v, 17r, 19r, 21r, 21v, 22r, 23v, 24v, 25r, 26r, 31r, 31v, 32r, 38r, 38v, 39r, 40r, 40v, 42v, 43v, 46r, 46v, 47r, 50r, 51v, 52v, 53v, 54r, 54v, 55r, 58r, 58v, 59r, 59v, 60v, 61r, 62r, 62v, 63r, 63v, 64r, 65r, 66r, 67r, 68r, 69r, 70r, 70v, 71r, 72r, 76r, 77r, 78r, 79r, 80r, 80v, 81r, 82r, 83r, 88v, 89r, 91r, 92r, 92v, 95r, 96r, 97r, 97v, 98v, 100r, 103r, 107r, 108r, 108v, 109v, 110r, 114v, 115r, 117r, 118r, 120v, 121r, 123r, 126r, 129r, 130r, 132r, 132v, 133r, 134r, 135r, 136r, 137r, 140r, 140v, 141r, 141v, 143r, 143v, 146r, 149r, 150r, 150v, 151r, 151v, 152r, 155r, 157r, 157v, 158r, 158v, 161r, 167r, 168v, 169r, 169v, 171v, 172r, 172v, 174r, 175r, 177r, 183r, 185v, 186v, 187v, 190r, 191r, 192r, 193r, 193v, 194r, 195r, 195v, 196v, 197r, 198r, 199v, 200v, 206r, 207v, 208r, 209r, 209v, 210v - 211r, 211v, 212r, 213r, 216r, 216v, 217r, 221r, 225v, 226r, 226v, 227r, 228r, 228v, 229v, 230r, 235v, 237r, 237v, 238r, 238v, 239r, 240r, 241r, 245r, 246, 247r, 251r, 256r, 260r, 261r, 261v, 262r, 262v, 264r, 266r, 269v, 273r).
Detailed description: Illuminated gilt initials on f. 72v : very small fragment (up-side-down) of illuminated initial in red and blue; f. 112v - 113r: large fragment of a large illuminated and gilt historiated initial. Against the blue background of the stem of the letter, a man dressed in mauve tunic and a red cloak with his right hand raised across the upper part of his torso is standing on a crouching dragon in pink, yellow, orange and white, the tail of which is extended below the dragon to the left and ending in a swirl of leaves with a standing bird in blue and orange. On the outside of the dragon is a framing field of burnished gold on raised gesso ground; f. 122r : fragment (up-side-down) of illuminated initial. The lower part of a stem in blue and pink and the tail shaped like a swirl of leaves in blue, orange, yellow and green with details of burnished gold on raised gesso ground; f. 171v : small fragment of illuminated initial with tail shaped like a swirl of leaves in blue, orange, yellow with details of burnished gold on raised gesso ground; f. 189r : fragment (up-side-down) of inhabited illuminated initial. The lower part of a stem in pink and the tail shaped like a swirl of leaves in blue, orange, yellow and green with details of burnished gold on raised gesso ground. Standing on top of the leaves, facing the stem of the letter, is a small dragon in orange, white and green; f. 208r : small fragment (up-side-down) of illuminated initial with tail shaped like a swirl of leaves in pink, blue, yellow and green with details of burnished gold on raised gesso ground; f. 269r : small fragment (up-side-down) with tail shaped like a swirl of leaves in blue, ink and orange; ff. 269v - 270r: fragment (up-side-down) of illuminated initial with tail shaped like a swirl of leaves in blue, pink, orange, yellow and green with details of burnished gold on raised gesso ground.
Style: The remaining portion of the primary decoration clearly shows the work of a French workshop of high quality from the third quarter of the 13th century, most probably Parisian and closely related to the Vie de Saint Denis atelier (cfr. Branner, fig. 253). There is however not enough remaining elements to establish a definitive attribution without extensive comparisons.
Iconography: The image of a man standing on the back of a subdued dragon (f. 112v - 113r) is certainly depicting either a prophet, an evangelist (St. John) or Christ Logos. Given that the stems of the other illuminated initials are much thinner, it is likely to be an initial I, allowing for the stem to be historiated. Since the figure is not holding a book (unless it is not given to him from above) and the figure raises his right arm in front of the body this may imply a blessing gesture in accordance with the scenes of the six days of Creation, Genesis 1:1, found in most French 13th century bible mss. In this case both the extraordinary length of the initial and the presence of a bird would be accounted for. On the other hand, the beginning of the Gospel according to St. John "In principio erat verbum" is as suitable.
Contact
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Location
Lund University LibraryHelgonabackenBox 3
221 00 Lund
St. Laurentius Digital Manuscript Library
- Shelfmark: Medeltidshandskrift 37
- Previous shelfmark: N. (or II?) 42/J. 8:o No. 29a, B. N. Mscr. 12:mo No. 2
Identifiers (general)
urn:nbn:se:alvin:portal:record-14454 (nbn)
Identifiers (local)
alvin-record:14454 (alvin)
Licensing of the work
Public Domain Mark (No Known Copyright)