Dominican Psalter And Hymnal (XIVth Century Manuscript, On Vellum) -

Italy, 1350 This is a Dominican Psalter and Hymnal book of the Fourteenth Centry on Vellum. Illuminated Manuscript Codex on Vellus, Italy, XIVth Century. Large 8vo, 175x124mm. Binding of the nineteenth century full brown leather blind tooled; Frames on covers decorated with botanical motifs, vases and dragons, gilt title on spine with five bands, dentelle, gold edges. 200 unnumbered leaves vellum. Area of text: 120x80mm, text of 23 lines. Textualis Gothic handwriting easy to read. A full-page miniature, many illuminated Capitals in red and blue with decorations around the marginals, many musical notations. Bookplate pasted to inside cover "The Plainsong and Mediaeval Music Society. Helmore Library." Text: "CALENDAR": leaves 1-6. "PSALTERY": with Antiphons and musical notations, “Incipit Psalmista s[ecundu]m ordi[n]em fr[atr]um p[rae]dicatorum”, ll. 7-129. Canticles for Prayer: Benedicite, Hymnum trium puerorum, Confitebor tibi, Domine, quoniam iratus es, In dimedio dierum meorum vadam, Exultavit cor meum in Domino et exaltatum est cor meum, Cantemus Domino, gloriose enim magnificatus est, Domine, audivi auditionem tuam, Audite, caeli, quae loquor, audiat terra verba oris mei, Magnificat, Benedictus Dominus Deus Israhel, Hunc dimittis, Quicumque vult, Symbolum apostolorum [Credo], Te Deum, ll. 129-139. "LITANIES": "Kyrie Eleison", ll. 140-144. Hymns with notated music, "Conditor alme siderum", ll. 144v-200. Decoration: On leave 7, “Incipit Psalmista s[ecundu]m ordi[n]em fr[atr]um p[rae]dicatorum”, page entirely illuminated: Initial B of ‘Beatus vir qui non abiit’, with King David playing the psaltery, text framed in double blue and gold fillet, margins with rich floral decoration by arabesque swirls, flowers and leaves in red, green and blue highlights in gold; coat of arms in the middle of the lower margin. Capitals in red and blue, Initial letters on two lines in red and blue with geometric patterns and arabesque swirls around the margins. On leave 144v, large Initial letter on eight lines with the ‘C’ in blue within the square decorated with geometric motifs and stylized flowers in red and brown. Many Gregorian Chant notation, with lines in red and the neumes in black. Provenance: The specimen belonged to Thomas Helmore, 1811-1890, choirmaster and important early music scholar, author and publisher of hymns and carols. The Ex-Libris bear the heading "The Plainsong and Mediaeval Music Society" institution founded in Oxford in 1888 with the aim of promoting the performance and study of liturgical chant and medieval polyphony, through the publication of editions, facsimiles and scientific articles. Excellent condition, brilliant ink, text fully readable. Photos available upon request.