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Manuscript Leaf with the Celebration of a Mass in an Initial S, from an Antiphonary

second half 15th century
Not on view
Obscuring much of the letter S, a priest celebrates Mass at a small altar with only one assistant-a scene quite distinct from the communal, music-filled ceremonies for which medieval and Renaissance choir books were created. The Museum owns several pages from the same antiphonary, a type of choir book that monks used at regular daily intervals, following the regimen codified by Saint Benedict in the sixth century. The anonymous master's name is derived from his illuminations of a text by Lactantius, an early Christian author, preserved in the Riccardiana Library in Florence.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Manuscript Leaf with the Celebration of a Mass in an Initial S, from an Antiphonary
  • Artist: Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius
  • Date: second half 15th century
  • Geography: Made in Florence, Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment
  • Dimensions: Overall: 21 9/16 x 16 1/8 in. (54.7 x 40.9 cm)
    letter: 4 7/16 x 4 5/16 in. (11.2 x 11 cm)
    Mat size: 30 1/2 x 21 13/16 in. (77.4 x 55.4 cm)
  • Classification: Manuscripts and Illuminations
  • Credit Line: Gift of Louis L. Lorillard, 1896, transferred from the Library
  • Object Number: 96.32.8
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Manuscript Leaf with the Trinity in an Initial T, from an Antiphonary, Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius, Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment, Italian
Manuscript Leaf with the Trinity in an Initial T, from an Antiphonary
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Manuscript Leaf with the Feast of Saint Andrew in an Initial M, from an Antiphonary, Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius, Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment, Italian
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Manuscript Leaf with the Trinity in an Initial G, from an Antiphonary, Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius, Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment, Italian
Manuscript Leaf with the Trinity in an Initial G, from an Antiphonary
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Manuscript Leaf with the Nativity in an Initial H, from an Antiphonary, Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius, Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment, Italian
Manuscript Leaf with the Nativity in an Initial H, from an Antiphonary
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Manuscript Leaf with Saint John the Evangelist and Saint John the Baptist in an Initial M, from an Antiphonary, Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius, Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment, Italian
Manuscript Leaf with Saint John the Evangelist and Saint John the Baptist in an Initial M, from an Antiphonary
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Master of the Riccardiana Lactantius - Manuscript Leaf with the Celebration of a Mass in an Initial S, from an Antiphonary - Italian - The Metropolitan Museum of Art