Collection ID: 0023 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Devotional extracts from the bible

Other related names

• Spaulding, William Stuart, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/77525582)
• Maggi Spaulding, Angèle Louise, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/42978205)
• Enluminures (Firm), former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/137272494)

Funders

• Council on Library and Information Resources

Call number

Lewis E 255
(Philadelphia, United States, Free Library of Philadelphia, John Frederick Lewis Collection of European Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• deRicci: 77
• Les-Enluminures: TM 182

Publisher

Free Library of Philadelphia

Language

German

Origin

Place

Leipzig?, Saxony, Germany

Summary

This compact devotional work contains biblical extracts taken from the Lutheran 1534 German translation, illustrated by small hand-colored narrative woodcuts and woodcut borders. It was likely realized for or in a Saxon (princely?) milieu, as there exists a very rare imprint (unicum?) of the same text in Paris (Paris, BnF, Vélins-1790) with a shield of the Prince Elector Augustus of Saxony. The elegant and unusual binding presents panels recorded on Leipzig or Wittemberg bindings of the second half of the sixteenth century.

Notes

• The present manuscript contains the same selection of biblical excerpts as a vellum imprint, printed in Leipzig by Jacobs Berwaldts [Bärwald] Erben in 1581 (sole located printed copy: Paris, BnF, Vélins - 1790); there are initials in a rounded medallion placed in lower border of fols. 11v, 19v, 23v, 30v, 43v: initials B/V/E/S separated by a crossed candelabra and dagger; also found in the lower borders of the 1581 edition, there initials have not been identified, but there is a supplementary clue in the printed 1581 edition: the blank heraldic shield simply inscribed here in ink with the letter "L" (fol. 24r)
   
• Title-page (fol. 1r) includes the following text: "Warhafftiger Grunt und Zeugniis unsers Cristlichen Glaubens aus der Heiligen Schrifft des alten und newen Testaments trewelich unnd vleissig zussamen gezogen allen frommen Christen zu einer Lehr und Trost. Durch einen Hochgelerten der Heiligen Schrifft" [Authentic foundation and testimony of our Christian Faith taken from the Sacred Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, attentively and faithfully chosen and gathered together for all pious Christians for their teaching and consolation. By a learned connoisseur of Holy Scripture]
   

Extent

I+47+i; 125 x 76 mm bound to 134 x 80 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto (lower flyleaf is foliated as fol. 48)

Collation

1-2 (8), 3-4 (6), 5 (10), 6 (10, -10)

Support

Parchment

Binding

Contemporary panel-stamped and gold-tooled binding, likely made in Saxony, in the region of Leipzig or Wittenberg, during the last quarter of the sixteenth century (c. 1580); the center of each cover is impressed with a panel representing on the upper cover the Crucifixion (shown, unusually, with two disputing soldiers flanking Christ, the brazen serpent, and a seated unclothed man) with inscription below: "Ecce . Agnus . Dei . Qui . Tollit // Peccata . Mundi" (80 x 47 mm) and the lower cover the Resurrection with inscription below: "Mors . Ubi . Tuus . Aculeus . U // bi . Victoria . Tua . Inferne" (81 x 46 mm), with initials "A.H." ; according to the description from Les Enluminures, this monogram could be that of Ambrosius Hirsch, although the present panels are not recorded in Haebler specifically (see Haebler and Schunke [1928], vol. 1, pp. 162-164); the bookbinder identified as A.H. (Ambrosius Hirsch) was precisely active in Leipzig between 1577 and 1617 (see Haebler and Schunke [1928], Bd. I, pp. 164)

Layout

One column of thirteen lines; written area: 93 x 53 mm

Decoration

Each devotional theme within the book is illustrated by a selection of biblical quotes and a woodcut (except the last two themes which have no woodcuts); in total, there are thirteen woodcuts, one less than in the printed vellum 1581 edition; the title page, text, and woodcuts are framed by four-sided woodcut borders, highlighted in similar colors as the woodcuts, with gold outlining, repeated on each page

Script

Gothic--Fraktur

Provenance

• Germany, Saxony, likely Leipzig; unidentified nineteenth- or early twentieth-century French bookseller's description tipped in on the front flyleaf describing it as "Très curieux manuscrit en allemand..."; from the collection of the late William Stuart Spaulding, Jr. (died 1961), with his signature, and his wife Angèle Louise Maggi (1925-2005), of Boston and Gstaad, Switzerland, their book plate, a serpent ("S") within an "M," the monogram contained in a circular frame, like a necklace of pearls; sold to the Free Library of Philadelphia by Les Enluminures, 2007
   

Keywords

• 16th century
• German
• Germany
• Biblical
• Devotion
• Private devotional text
• Christian
• Gothic
• Woodcuts
• Notable binding

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E 255: Devotional extracts from the bible are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  To the extent possible under law, Free Library of Philadelphia, Special Collections has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this metadata about Free Library of Philadelphia Lewis E 255: Devotional extracts from the bible. This work is published from: United States. For a summary of CC0, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• fol. 1r — Title Page
• fol. 3r — Creation; incipit: Schöpffung, Genesis : 1. Am anfang schuff Gott himel und erden...
• fol. 6r — Fall of Man; incipit: Fall Adam, Genesis : 2...
• fol. 9v — Conception; incipit: Empfaengnis, Genesis : 3...
• fol. 12v — Nativity; incipit: Geburth, Genesis : 22...
• fol. 15v — Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane; incipit: Olbergt, Esaias : 53...
• fol. 19r — Arrest of Christ; incipit: Befengnis, Esaias: 53...
• fol. 22r — Flagellation; incipit: Geisselung, Psalms: 22
• fol. 25v — Passion; incipit: Aussfurung, Genesis: 22
• fol. 28v — Crucifixion; incipit: Creutzigung, Deuteronomy: 21
• fol. 31v — Entombment; incipit: Begrebniis, Psalms: 16
• fol. 34r — Resurrection; incipit: Aufferstehung, Psalms: 16
• fol. 36v — Ascension; incipit: Himelfardt, Psalms: 68
• fol. 40r — Descent of the Holy Spirit; incipit: Sendung des heiligen Geists, Genesis: 1
• fol. 44r — Resurrection of the Dead; incipit: Ausffersteung der Thodten, Ezekiel: 37
• fol. 46r — On Eternal Life [On the Life to come]; incipit: Von ewigen leben, Zephaniah: 5; explicit: Matthew: 13...Amen.

Decorations

• Front cover — Full page miniature, The Crucifixion
• fol. 3r — Large miniature, Creation of Eve from Adam's rib
• fol. 7r — Large miniature, Fall of Adam and Eve
• fol. 12r — Large miniature, Annunciation
• fol. 15r — Large miniature, Nativity
• fol. 17r — Large miniature, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
• fol. 21r — Large miniature, Arrest of Christ
• fol. 25r — Large miniature, Flagellation of Christ
• fol. 27v — Large miniaure, Christ carrying the Cross
• fol. 29r — Large miniature, Crucifixion
• fol. 33r — Large miniature, Entombment
• fol. 35r — Large miniature, Resurrection
• fol. 39r — Large miniature, Ascension
• fol. 42r — Large miniature, Pentecost