Description

The Book of the Augustinian Priory of Heilig Kreuz, Augsburg
Calendar, Martyrology, the Rule of St Augustine, in Latin with some words in German, decorated manuscript on vellum, Augsburg [15th century]
A fundamental Augustinian book, containing a calendar recording the deaths of over 530 monks, sisters and benefactors associated with the Augustinian Priory of Heilig Kreuz, Augsburg and related religious institutions.

290 x 200mm. 168 leaves: 1-48, 57 (of 8, viii a cancelled blank), 6-158, 166, 17-218, 223 (of 4, iv a cancelled blank), 27-30 lines written in at least two hands, ruled space: 260 x 147mm, the Calendar dating to c.1400 and re-using leaves from an 11th-century manuscript (the text scraped off but still visible in places), the Martyrology and the Rule of St Augustine dating to the final third of the 15th century, rubrics in red, large penwork initials with elaborate flourishing opening the Martyrology and the Rule, initials alternately in red and blue throughout, Calendar heavily annotated with obits throughout (see Provenance), medieval tabs survive (marginal thumbing and staining, margins occasionally slightly cropped, some natural flaws to vellum, occasional small wormholes, final leaf creased). Bound in contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, stamped with the figures of the evangelists within ornamental frames (clasps, corner and centre-pieces lacking, very lightly rubbed, one corner chipped, the front pastedown a 13th-century manuscript). In a fitted red morocco box.