[Manuscript illumination: page from an Antiphonal or a Gradual]
Collection:CSM Museum & Study Collection
Date: [late 13th century] - [early 14th century]
Dimensions:
Image: 726 x 480 mm (72.6 x 48 cm)
Medium: Ink and paint illumination on parchment.
Object number: F.20
DescriptionLatin text (Gothic style, textualis quadratta) rubrics, musical notation, large illuminated Major initial "O", floriate decoration, initial on rectilinear ground. Verso - text, musical notation and an illuminated minor initial "H".This is a page from a monastic Choir book. The size of the manuscript page indicates that it would have been used by a choir; the scale of the musical notation and text also atest to this theory (see illustration in Brown, Documentation). It does seem very likely that this particular page originates from an Antiphonal (or Antiphoner), this would originally have included the chants sung during Mass. However, during the Carolingian period the Antiphonal's use was restricted to Divine Office, with the Gradual becoming the principal choir book for Mass.