National Library of Sweden, A 169
Bible
Moravia?, 15th century, third quarter.
Paper
455, i' leaves
315 × 205–215 mm
Latin
Immediately after the end of 2 Machabees a type of colophon and comment on the text: Festum ante margarethe Sub anno domini Mo CCCC lxvii Hii duo libri machabeorum indigent diligenti correctione et specialiter secundus quia exemplar vnicum mihi extitit et valde illegibile et incorrectum alicubi historiam obfuscat cepa nafornui quod nullatenus potui percipere hoc vero ego onus in me referram et exemplari ad tempus disposito cum tempus adveniret maioris ocii et adeo dedite sanitatis per me corrigetur
‘Nemóž taký kóň býti, byť se někdy ale na hrúdě nepoklesl. Ani takový písař, byť se neomýlil, a zvláště poněvadž nevždy jest v přirození zpósoben’ (transcription made by Ondřej Fúsik, National Library of the Czech Republic) vnde versus
Quadrupes in plano cadit quandoque pede sano Non mirare bipes si modo labit tibi pes Quare supposicio quodlibet hunc librum voluminis l-rum sed quod reppertum fuerit in consonum scripture mee manus non mee incurrabili- sed ignorancie magis ascribat I- illud Ieronimi in prologo s- bibliam capitulo vi Scribimus indocti doctique poemata passim ?
f. 351: ruled, but no text.
Secundo folio
putant se nosseSupport
Foliation
Collation
Layout
Additions
Binding/Endleaves
Textblock
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in black ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red. The decoration of this manuscript is unfinished and partially executed secondarily (see below for further details).
(f. 1r): Opening decorated initial F over 11 lines.
The letter body consists of acanthus leaves in pink and blue. The background is dark blue with dense curling silver tendrils. The initial is placed in a quadrangular bright green frame. A straight slim brownish stem runs along the left margin, down to the lower margin, where a lily and acanthus ornament in blue, pink, green and red fills the space.
f. 4r, 24v, 352r: Genesis, Exodus, and the prologue to Matthew and Matthew are opened by similar initials, with some variations in the colour scheme. Most books are opened by a puzzle initial in red and black with penwork decoration in the counter space, e.g. (f. 81va), or a plain initial in red.
Paragraphs and sub-chapters are opened by plain initials, sometimes with interior reserved shapes, or puzzle initials over 2-6 lines in red, or red and black. (ff. 18v–206r): On these folios many of the individual books of the Bible are lacking their initials and only have reserved space for large initials (often with guide letters), e.g. (f. 40vb) and (f. 154v). Reserved space are also found in the paragraphs. There is a large number of secondarily painted red initials of 4-14 lines height, sometimes made as puzzle initials in red and black ink.
Binding
Medieval binding. Green leather over wooden boards. 4 double raised bands and endbands. Originally, hook and clasp. Corner and centre pieces with bosses. Spine, five paper labels with tex in ink, from top to bottom: ‘⟨BI⟩BLIA ’; beneath: ‘MS’; stamped in gold: ‘A 169’; ‘Biblia Latine’; ‘No 3.’; ‘63. (15b)’; ‘e 40. 2. 3.’.
Blind tooled decoration consisting of geometric patterns (now almost too faded to discern).
Origin
Provenance
Acquisition
It is believed that the manuscript was taken as spoils of war from Mikulov (Nikolsburg) in 1645–1646. It belonged to Queen Christina and is listed in Vossius's catalogue of 1651 (U 202:1, p. 27). The signa ‘63 15b’ on the spine refer to Jaches's catalogues of 1695 and 1698 (U 122 and U 118) ; ‘No 3’ refers to the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e), and ‘e. 40. 2. 3.’ to Hammarsköld's catalogue of the 19th century (U 133).
