Between 1450 and 1460 this book of hours was produced in Flanders (probably Bruges). The style of the manuscript seems to be inspired by Jan van Eyck and it shows a great deal of his influence. On some pages, the artist even copies from the master’s compositions. I like this image a lot because it clearly shows women in a place that is too often thought of as a only-men place.
Portrait of a lady in profile, maybe Beatrice d’Este; circle of Leonardo da Vinci, possibly Bernardino de’ Conti or Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis, fourth quarter of 15th century
Our Curator Rare Books and Fine Printing received an enquiry about this fifteenth-century Psalter. Since it is out of its box, we thought we’d share it with the world!
Decorated initial ‘B’ at the beginning of Psalm 1, ‘Beatus vir’ (Blessed is the man).
Earlier this year the Alexander Turnbull Library received a generous bequest from the estate of Mt John Barton, a New Zealand book collector resident in the town of New Plymouth.
Mr Barton (1931-2016) was born on Mersea Island off the coast of Essex, England. Around 1954, his family immigrated to New Zealand and settled in Taranaki. He followed suit two years later, first finding work with the Department of Lands and Survey before being employed as a radiographer at the Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth where he remained until 1978. A few years later he took up employment with Kea Books, a second-hand bookshop located on Devon St. Barton’s bibliophilic mind was well suited to the work. He spent the rest of his working career there and retired as manager in 1991.
The bequest comprised 20 books printed during the 15th and early 16th centuries. Theology is the most prevalent subject, with the earliest publication being a collection of Pseudo-Augustinian tracts (shown here) printed in the town of Lauingen, Germany, in 1472 - one of only two titles printed in Lauingen during the 15th century. It is a remarkable little book typographically, as its roman type is one of the earliest produced in Germany and is unique to this edition.
Cataloguing of the collection is nearing completion and the books will soon be available for study.
Pseudo-Augustine, De anima et spiritu. Add: De ebrietate. De sobrietate. De quattuor virtutibus caritatis. De contritione cordis. [Lauingen: Printer of Augustinus, ‘De consensu evangelistarum’], 9 Nov. 1472, Alexander Turnbull Library, R407716.
