Walters Ms. W.26, Claricia Psalter

W.26

Claricia Psalter

Psalter

This Psalter was made for, and most likely by, a group of Benedictine nuns at the abbey of saints Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg, Germany. Although the Psalter itself, along with its calendar, dates to the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, a number of texts and prayers were added in the mid thirteenth century. Most striking about the manuscript are its illuminations, which include a prefatory cycle, full-page miniatures, and historiated initials. While all are Romanesque in style, they vary greatly in quality and technique, and three or four different artists seem to have been at work. The Claricia Psalter takes its name from one of the initials, which depicts a young girl in secular dress swinging from the initial "Q," who has "Claricia" written around her head. It has been suggested that the image represents a novice artist who signed her work, but there are many other theories, and none are certain.

Late 12th--early 13th century CE

Augsburg, Germany

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin.

Parchment

Velvety parchment of medium thickness, well prepared but very worn from use

Foliation: 189

No flyleaves; modern pencil foliation in upper right corners of rectos

Formula: 1(10,-9), 2(4,-2,3,4), 3-17(8), 18(2,-2), 19-24(8), 25(12,-1,2)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: None

Comments: Quires begin on fols. 1(1), 10(2), 11(3), 19(4), 27(5), 35(6), 43(7), 51(8), 59(9), 67(10), 75(11), 83(12), 91(13), 99(14), 107(15), 115(16), 123(17), 131(18), 132(19), 140(20), 148(21), 156(22), 164(23), 172(24), 180(25)

15.0 cm wide by 22.8 cm high

10.2 cm wide by 16.6 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 18
3. Layout applies to everything except calendar on fols. 1v-7r (written in two columns); added litany and collects on fol. 1r (25 lines, 13.2 cm wide); and added Gospel reading on fol. 9v (23 lines, 12.5 cm wide)

fols. 1r - 189r:

1. Title: Psalter
2. Text note: Incomplete; lacks folio between fols. 9 and 10; lacks three folios between fols. 10 and 11; lacks folio between fols. 179 and 180; original manuscript contained calendar, Psalter, and canticles; the Magnificat, Office of the Dead, meditation on the Annunciation, Salve Regina, and several prayers and Gospel readings were added in the mid thirteenth century; two early charters used as pastedowns
3. Hand note: Written in pre-Gothic bookhand; one hand evident for the majority of text; second hand evident on fols. 9v-10v; third hand takes over between fols. 179v-180r
4. Decoration note: Nineteen miniatures by three or four different hands, including a prefatory cycle of framed scenes heavily painted in blue, red, green, and gold; other drawings throughout in pen with some accent or background color; two historiated initials with figures in pen with accents of blue, red, and green; two decorated initials in the same colors; calendar framed by decorated columns topped by tympana containing the signs of the zodiac; enlarged red initials throughout (1-2 lines); rubrics in red; text in black ink

fols. ubi1 - ubi1:

1. Title: Charter (front pastedown)
2. Text note: Fifteenth-century(?) charter used as front pastedown; names Johann de Stedere and Henr abbas
3. Hand note: Written in documentary script
4. Decoration note: None

fols. 1r - 1r:

1. Title: Litany and petitions
2. Text note: Text added in the fifteenth century to an originally blank folio
3. Hand note: Written in cursive script
4. Decoration note: None

fols. 1v - 7r:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Rubric: Januarius habet dies. xxxi. luna. xxx.
3. Text note: Verses at tops of columns celebrating events in the lives of Christ and the Virgin, beginning "Baptismo Christi gaudet solempnia iani"; Egyptian Day verses at feet of columns; numerous obits added early, including Hochburga Abbessa (October 21)
4. Decoration note: Zodiac signs in tympani

fols. 7v - 9r:

1. Title: Prefatory cycle
2. Text note: No text
3. Decoration note: Four full-page miniatures: Annunciation (fol. 7v), Nativity (fol. 8r), Virgin and Child (fol. 8v), and SS. Peter and Paul(?) (fol. 9r)

fols. 9v - 10v:

1. Title: John chapter 17 (Christ's prayer for his disciples)
2. Incipit: In illo tempore sublevatis Ihesu oculis
3. Text note: Text of John chapter 17 added to blank versos of fols. 9 and 10
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature of John baptizing Christ on fol. 10r; different artist than prefatory cycle and separate from it--may have been a later insertion or part of a separate image cycle (the three folios following it missing)

fols. 11r - 166v:

1. Title: Psalter
2. Incipit: Beatus vir, qui non abiit
3. Text note: Psalter in three-part division (Psalms 1, 51, 101), plus decorated initial marking Psalm 52; some Psalms have neumes
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniatures on fols. 131r and 131v; inhabited initial with "Claricia" surrounding it on fol. 64r; three-quarter-page miniatures on fols. 63v and 115r; historiated initial on fol. 115v; decorated initials on fols. 11r and 64v

fols. 166v - 179v:

1. Title: Canticles
2. Rubric: Canticulum
3. Incipit: Confitebor tibi domine quoniam iratus es michi
4. Text note: Ten canticles
5. Decoration note: Enlarged red initials (2 lines) beginning each canticle

fols. 180r - 180r:

1. Title: Magnificat
2. Incipit: Magnificat anima mea Dominum
3. Text note: Added text, mid-thirteenth-century hand
4. Decoration note: Enlarged red initial (3 lines) beginning text

fols. 180v - 187r:

1. Title: Office of the Dead
2. Rubric: Vigiliae mortuorum
3. Incipit: Oremus pro fidelibus defunctis
4. Text note: Added text, mid-thirteenth-century hand
5. Decoration note: Enlarged red initial (2 lines) beginning text

fols. 187r - 187v:

1. Title: Prayers
2. Rubric: Oratio
3. Incipit: Quaesumus Domine ut animabus
4. Text note: Two added prayers, mid-thirteenth-century hand
5. Decoration note: Enlarged red initials (2 lines) beginning texts

fols. 187v - 188r:

1. Title: Meditation on the Annunciation
2. Incipit: Missus est Gabriel angelus ad Mariam Virginem
3. Text note: Added text, mid-thirteenth-century hand
4. Decoration note: Enlarged red initial (2 lines) beginning text

fols. 188r - 188r:

1. Title: Salve Regina
2. Incipit: Salve Regina misericordiae vita
3. Text note: Added text, mid-thirteenth-century hand
4. Decoration note: None

fols. 188r - 188v:

1. Title: Prayer
2. Rubric: Oratio
3. Incipit: Deus qui de beate Marie Virginis
4. Text note: Added text, mid-thirteenth-century hand
5. Decoration note: Enlarged red initial (2 lines) beginning text

fols. 188v - 188v:

1. Title: Prayer
2. Incipit: Alfa et omega
3. Text note: Added prayer, later hand
4. Decoration note: None

fols. 189r - 189r:

1. Title: Charter (original back pastedown)
2. Incipit: Stephanus ... sancti presbiter
3. Text note: Possibly sixteenth-century charter originally used as back pastedown, now numbered as final folio; names Stephanus and Richardo Vecturi
4. Hand note: Written in documentary script
5. Decoration note: None

fol. 1v:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Aquarius
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: January-February

fol. 2r:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Pisces
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: February-March

fol. 2v:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Aries
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: March-April

fol. 3r:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Taurus
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: April-May

fol. 3v:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Gemini
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: May-June

fol. 4r:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Cancer
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: June-July

fol. 4v:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Leo
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: July-August

fol. 5r:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Virgo
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: August-September

fol. 5v:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Libra
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: September-October

fol. 6r:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Scorpio
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: October-November

fol. 6v:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Sagittarius
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: November-December

fol. 7r:

1. 
2. Title: Sign of the zodiac: Capricorn
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Calendar: December-January

fol. 7v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   The inscription on the scroll reads: Ave gratia plena dominus tecum (Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you).

fol. 8r:

1. 
2. Title: Nativity
3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 8v:

1. 
2. Title: Virgin and Child enthroned
3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 9r:

1. 
2. Title: SS. Peter and Paul(?)
3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 10r:

1. 
2. Title: John baptizing Christ
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   The inscription on the scroll reads: Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi bene complacui (This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased).

fol. 11r:

1. 
2. Title: Decorated initial "B"
3. Form: Decorated initial "B," 12 lines
4. Text: Opening of Psalm 1

fol. 63v:

1. 
2. Title: Virgin and Child enthroned
3. Form: Three-quarter-page miniature
4. Text: End of Psalm 50
5. Comment:

   The inscription reads: S. Maria (Holy Mary).

fol. 64r:

1. 
2. Title: "Claricia" swinging on an initial "Q"
3. Form: Historiated initial "Q," 13 lines
4. Text: Opening of Psalm 51

fol. 64v:

1. 
2. Title: Decorated initial "D"
3. Form: Decorated initial "D," 12 lines
4. Text: Opening of Psalm 52

fol. 115r:

1. 
2. Title: Holy Bishop Nicolaus
3. Form: Three-quarter-page miniature
4. Text: End of Psalm 100
5. Comment:

   The inscription reads: Scs. Nicolaus eps. (Holy Bishop Nicolaus).

fol. 115v:

1. 
2. Title: Historiated initial "D" with Orant Nun
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 10 lines(?)
4. Text: Opening of Psalm 101

fol. 131r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Michael and the dragon
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: End of Psalm 108

fol. 131v:

1. 
2. Title: SS. Ulrich and Afra(?)
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Opening of Psalm 109

The binding is original.

Original (or possibly thirteenth- or fourteenth-century) beech boards covered by much-abraded leather with five metal bosses on upper and lower boards; remains of leather straps visible; thirteenth- or fourteenth-century charters used as pastedowns on both boards (lower board pastedown now numbered as final folio)

Made in the late twelfth/early thirteenth century for an abbey in southern Germany, probably the Benedictine house of SS. Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg (these saints appear in the calendar and are depicted on fol. 131v; thirteenth-century note in German, top of fol. 2r)

Bénigne-Charles Févret de Saint-Mémin (1770-1852) (bookplate originally on front pastedown [no longer extant])

Prince of Stolberg-Wernigerode, Zeisberg sale, Wernigerode, October 10, 1854, no. 37 (no. Za51 on spine)

G. Schar, unknown date and mode of acquisition ("G. Schar 20" on fol. 1r)

Léon Gruel collection, Paris, late nineteenth/early twentieth century

Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore, from Gruel, before 1931

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Förstermann, Ernst Wilhelm. Die Gräflich Stolbergische Bibliothek zu Wernigerode. Nordhausen, Germany: Förstemann, 1866, p. 98(sic 89), no. Za51.

De Ricci, Seymour. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935, p. 769, no. 75.

Harrsen, Meta. Cursus Sanctae Mariae. New York: Pierpont Morgan Library, 1937, p. 29, pl. 23.

Miner, Dorothy. Anastaise and her Sisters: Women Artists of the Middle Ages. Baltimore: Walters Art Gallery, 1974, pp. 11-12, figs. 2-3.

Carr, A. W. "Women Artists in the Middle Ages." The Feminist Art Journal 5 (1976): 5-9, 26.

Alexander, Jonathan J. G. Medieval Illuminators and their Methods of Work. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1992, pp. 18, 20-21, fig. 31.

Stokstad, Marilyn, Michael Watt Cothren, Frederick M. Asher, et al. Art History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson, 1995.

Pollock, Griselda, and Rozsika Parker. Old Mistresses: Women, Art, and Ideology. London: Pantheon, 1981, p. 16, fig. 9.

Cataloger: Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934

Editors: Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William

Copy editor: Bockrath, Diane

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Emery, Doug; Hamburger, Jeffrey; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

The Walters Art Museum

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