A 12th-century fragment of manuscript used as a binding, and a handsome example of highly-legible script, the antica littera that inspired the script favoured by Italian humanists three centuries later. The text is from Pseudo-Chrisostomus’ commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Opus imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilies 35 and 36 (‘ubi sit verbum veritatis […] quia ex operibus et’); the scribe has omitted the second half of Homily 35, after ‘[ad diem resurrec]tionis [ip]sius’.
The fact that this leaf was used as a binding is evident; visible folds indicate spine and covers, and particularly clean areas on what would have been the spine, at head and tail and in an ‘x’ shape at the centre, indicate where leather cords sat and rubbed the vellum. The shape into which this leaf has been cut suggests it was used in a wallet binding, with one larger overlapping flap; accordingly, the title of the former volume’s contents has been written on the upper flap, ‘Spese d’anniversarij de l’ 1512’ - expenditure for 1512 - revealing that this was formerly the binding to a pocket-sized account book.
Due to subsequent use as binding, old folds visible, staining to side of leaf that would have faced outwards, but text still remarkably fresh and legible.
Provenance: From he collection of Marvin Colker (1927-2020), Emeritus Professor of Classics at the University of Virginia, palaeographer and classicist; his inventory number ‘MLC 493’ pencilled on ‘recto’; Colker MS 493.
