Breviary, Latin; Italy (perhaps north western), fifteenth century

Single leaf. 119 by 148mm. Gothic liturgical hand; rubrics in red.

Text: From the Office of St Cecilia (22 November).
Decoration: Five initials on coloured grounds.
Provenance: Leaves from a Benedictine Breviary sold at Sotheby’s, 13 December 1965 (lot 202), to the Folio Society, who broke it up. Part of a set of leaves sold by Bethune’s, Wellington, 12 June 1974 (lot 630). This leaf was purchased in the Bethune’s sale by Penny Griffith, deputy director for the Alexander Turnbull Library. It was acquired from Ms Griffith by the Dunedin City Library in February 2013.
Reference: Manion, Vines, de Hamel no. 181 (b).
Shelfmark: RMM Fragment 64.

Description reproduced from Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in New Zealand Collections (London, 1989) by permission of the authors (Christopher de Hamel, Margaret Manion, and the family of Vera F. Vines).