Ask the Scholar

Document scope · 8 pages
obj
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory. For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.

Source Description

Created in the mid twelfth century in Germany, this manuscript contains the much earlier writings of the Irish scholar Sedulius Scotus. Writing in the mid ninth century at St. Lambert in Liege, Scotus famously penned this treatise on the duties and ideals of the Christian king or prince. It is the earliest version of a genre that would become popular in the later medieval and Renaissance periods, often known as "mirrors for princes." This manuscript is the second oldest copy of Scotus' treatise known, the earliest being from the ninth century (Bremen, Stadtbibliothek Ms. C. 36). The text is virtually complete, missing only its first and last folios, and is written in a clear Romanesque Caroline minuscule script. The nine inhabited initials, which include dragons and cranes, as well as the seven decorated initials, have been left unfinished. In its script and decoration the manuscript is similar to a benedictional made in Constance (Folter, et al. Cimelia, p. 144, no. 33).

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
4598
label
On Christian Rulers
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
8
Source metadata
id
4598
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
On Christian Rulers
description
Created in the mid twelfth century in Germany, this manuscript contains the much earlier writings of the Irish scholar Sedulius Scotus. Writing in the mid ninth century at St. Lambert in Liege, Scotus famously penned this treatise on the duties and ideals of the Christian king or prince. It is the earliest version of a genre that would become popular in the later medieval and Renaissance periods, often known as "mirrors for princes." This manuscript is the second oldest copy of Scotus' treatise known, the earliest being from the ninth century (Bremen, Stadtbibliothek Ms. C. 36). The text is virtually complete, missing only its first and last folios, and is written in a clear Romanesque Caroline minuscule script. The nine inhabited initials, which include dragons and cranes, as well as the seven decorated initials, have been left unfinished. In its script and decoration the manuscript is similar to a benedictional made in Constance (Folter, et al. Cimelia, p. 144, no. 33).
provenance
[Fol. 117 (originally rear pastedown) has 13th century office of Matins for Saint Catherine (with neumes)]; Gustav Ritter von Emmich; Gustav Ritter von Emmich Sale, Vienna, March 15, 1906, no. I, pl. VIII; Gruel and Engelmann Collection [no. 609]; Leon Gruel, Paris; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
early 12th century (Medieval)
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
illuminated manuscripts
imageCount
8
pageCount
8
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
18
height
11.7
dimensionsRaw
H: 7 1/16 x W: 4 5/8 in. (18 x 11.7 cm)
Source extras
style
Romanesque
RelatedObjects
88764
88762
88761
88763
88760
88759
88758
88757
88756
3668
7264
4719
28446
33529
24048
med
ink and pigments on cream-colored, velvety parchment covered with modern white leather over boards
creator_ids
8392
6211
collection_ids
MSS
MED
exhibition_ids
96
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
2ec07171235e33fc
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
e5ea9ce528881de0
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
002d94622c51ac9b
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
e0ccbce67d746ba1
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
fbfa6ff25e7a16f2
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
79de538f74c445a5
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
7
type
photo
mediaId
9f660ddd515eb33d
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
8
type
photo
mediaId
3445c8c839407b90
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no