D & D Galleries

Box 8413
Somerville, NJ 08876
Phone: 908-874-3162
Fax: 908-874-5195
Email: carlson@dndgalleries.com

DELUXE EDITION
OF THE
CODEX VINDOBONENSIS 1856

$2,500

This is a facsimile of Vienna Codex 1856, a Burgundian Manuscript of c.1470 written and illuminated on black vellum. Actually, it is all the illuminated pages thereof; the other text pages having at most minor outer margin panel borders. There are 61 illuminated leaves each measuring approximately 10-1/2" x 7-1/2".
Only four all black vellum horae are known:

1. Vienna, 1856.

2. Pierpont Morgan Library, from the Hoe sale.

3. Hispanic Society, New York, New York.

4. The Vatican, Rome, Italy.

All are from the atelier of the Master of Anthony of Burgundy and are approximately 1460-70. They are penitential horae in so far as the visual cycle of the hours and the Virgin has instead of events in The Virgin's life, stations of the Passion of Christ. The emphasis on suffering in this cycle and the strong identification of the reader with Christ Himself was a feature of Northern European religious art of the late 15th Century. (Reference James H. Marrow, Passion Iconography, for the most complete exposition of this trend).

Anthony of Burgundy was the Grand Bastard of Burgundy, tile eldest illegitimate son of Phillip the Good, and therefore a "cousin" of Charles the Bold. After the death of Charles, Anthony helped stabilize the politically precarious situation and got Mary of Burgundy wedded with Maximilian I of Austria, preventing the dismemberment of the Netherlands by the French.

The Vienna Codex has been disbound and the leaves matted because the iron sulfide based pigment has made the vellum extremely-brittle, and the pages cannot be turned without breaking. The binding of the original Vienna Codex is dark blue velvet over wooden boards with corner and central stellate bosses on both covers with a series of tears (penitential tears) both smooth and finely grooved. The clasps are enameled with:

1. The Virgin and Child

2. The Virgin and Child and Young St. John.

This, the Deluxe Edition, is an exact replica of the original binding using red velvet instead of blue, and is not known to be done in more than 30 copies. In extremely fine, fresh condition, as issued. The regular edition of this book is a version where the leaves are matted and placed in a portfolio.