Bonjour a tous.
Can anyone help me with the date and origin of this fragment please. It looks to me to be from
an 11/12 C gradual, with its Carolingian script and adiastematic neumes. It’s the introit for the Easter Sunday mass. Approximate size is 310 x 210 mm.
It bears a strong resemblance to this one in the library of St. Gall, which is dated 980 - 1000.
However the initial is more of a foliate design than the knotted St Gaul ‘R', and I know little of the chronology of illuminated initial design.
Any thoughts gratefully received.
Andrew Leckie
Replies
Re: Miguel's comment.
Needless to say, Andrew owes nobody any explanation for how he arrived at the pricing of this or any other item. He offers it for sale, take it or leave it. If you feel he asks more than the fragment is worth, don't buy it. I for one applaud Andrew for salvaging what looks to me like an immensely valuable fragment. It is his property now, and it is his business what he does with it.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Oliver, I greatly appreciate it.
I would like to assure you that I never compromise the integrity of the leaves I am fortunate enough to be the temporary custodian of. I NEVER attempt any restoration, cleaning, flattening, re-touching or the like. My aim is to preserve the leaf for its next custodian and for future generations. All I do is provide it with an environment best suited to this - museum quality passepartout and backing, mylar sleeve - and then stored in Solander boxes. I’d also like to add that I never attach anything to a leaf, hingeing material, tape etc. I use conservation materials and techniques to hold the leaf in place in the passepartout.
Once again, many thanks for your contribution. You are right, staying informed with an open mind and sharing knowledge is in all our interests.
Since you asked for an expert opinion, i strongly advice against home-made “restaurations”, because in case of doubt it is better to do nothing than to do something wrong. There is a great responsibility and I fear that there is only a very small circle of hard-core experts (in London, Paris, Halle and Grottaferrata etc.) who are really up to take this heavy burden, and they are in permanent exchange in order to do so. I am sure the expert friends you mentioned here will agree with it.
My own experience is that even archeologists in Sicily collaborate with their so-called enemies, looting peasants who are quite experienced in finding and digging statues of Ancient Greek Sicily.
I am sure that I am not the only one who appreciates your passion and your courtesy. Our expert opinion is voluntarilly given, but I hope you do not mind, if we expect in exchange nothing more than to be informed about these transactions (many thanks to Dominique who found this article about you).
I am personally surprised, how low prices in Australia are. If you think, how much a museum or library spends per year just to have a qualified staff which looks after such a collection of manuscripts, it is peanuts. Only if prices climb so high, that public collectors can no longer afford to buy them, we are in the situation of Paul Getty who once said: “We do not pay 2 billions for second-rate paintings of French impressionists!”
It does not seem your case... I did appreciate the exchange with you and I believe it is in our all interest to keep informed about these deals. There is no globally granted right to own a Picasso or van Gogh and to hang it next to badly made pictures depicting Mummy Moses, and there is no right to earn and to withheld reproductions (otherwise, what is the reason for public foundations to pay for them?). But private owners might help to improve their image by supporting them.
, you are incorrect in your assumptions. I bought this leaf because of my passionate interest in medieval documents. I was familiar with Carolingian script but had never come across adiastematic neumes before and was keen to understand this notation system. Thanks to my research and the generosity of some participants of this forum who shared their expert knowledge, I now know a punctum from a virga.
It was just to sell this manuscript at a higher price... If you had a passion for it you would keep it.
Inflation? I paid just under 6500 Australian dollars to a US dealer for the leaf, not $4,500. You are confusing American and Australian dollars. I have it priced at A$8,800. Considering I have spent some time and money on conservation of the leaf by providing a protective environment - museum quality rag board, mylar sleeve & corners etc., I don’t think this is an unrealistic figure. I would also like to point out that I always reduce my prices for educational institutions.
Sorry but on ebay it's not australian US (this is the first sell of this manuscript before you pay it 4500....) :
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/252269759170
I have a good working relationship with several universities and their Medieval Studies professors, rare book librarians and other staff. It is most likely that this leaf will be bought by an institution, in which case it will become a valuable teaching resource for generations of students to come.
I hope this explanation goes some way to easing your concerns.
It's not correct you want that this mmanuscript to be sell for 8800 dollars and you win 4000 dollars....
With respect Miguel
, you are incorrect in your assumptions. I bought this leaf because of my passionate interest in medieval documents. I was familiar with Carolingian script but had never come across adiastematic neumes before and was keen to understand this notation system. Thanks to my research and the generosity of some participants of this forum who shared their expert knowledge, I now know a punctum from a virga.
Inflation? I paid just under 6500 Australian dollars to a US dealer for the leaf, not $4,500. You are confusing American and Australian dollars. I have it priced at A$8,800. Considering I have spent some time and money on conservation of the leaf by providing a protective environment - museum quality rag board, mylar sleeve & corners etc., I don’t think this is an unrealistic figure. I would also like to point out that I always reduce my prices for educational institutions.
I have a good working relationship with several universities and their Medieval Studies professors, rare book librarians and other staff. It is most likely that this leaf will be bought by an institution, in which case it will become a valuable teaching resource for generations of students to come.
I hope this explanation goes some way to easing your concerns.
Congratulations:
https://www.ilab.org/eng/booksellers/2078-littera_scripta.html
Trouvé sur le site de Andrew Leckie :
http://litterascripta.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&c...
Acheté 4500 euros revendu 8800 euros.... No comment.... Après on s'étonne de la flambée des prix des manuscrits....
A very interesting and valued response. Many thanks.
Andrew Leckie is quoted:
Of course, some scribes in certain regions (especially Austria) did know about these innovations, but like the scribes of Saint Gall they did not regard them as a real progress, instead they continued their own concept of an uncorrupted tradition. There is always another truth beyond those music historians tend to believe. This makes understandable why the reform group around St Bernard of Clairvaux ordered books in Laon and St Gall Abbey, but the reformers were not satisfied with the tradition as it was represented by those scribes in archaic notation, instead they invented a set of Guidonian rules, how to change these melodies!
je retrouve votre photo ici :
Pre-Gutenberg manuscripts illuminated at Melbourne's Rare Book Fair Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/pregutenberg-manuscripts-illu... Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook
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