Auction House	Sothebys
Website	www.sothebys.com/
Auction Name	Western Manuscripts and Literature
Sale Number	L11240
Auction Date	Jul 05, 2011 - Jul 05, 2011

Lot Number	50
Title	Bible, in Latin,
Place Printed	England (probably Oxford)
Description	Bible, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [England (probably Oxford), second quarter of the thirteenth century] 431 leaves, 265mm. by 190mm., wanting single leaves from after fols.206, 232, 310, 344 and 374, two folios after fol.98, and a number of gatherings from beginning and end, else apparently complete, single column, 43-44 lines in brown ink in a single professional early gothic hand, running titles and rubrics in red and blue, 2-line initials in red or blue with penwork to contrast, larger initials with intricate penwork opening each book (that on fols.65v, 313r, 315v smudged), many neat medieval marginal additions, fol.209 blank and mostly cut away, corners of fols.69, 226, 253 and 290 cut away and repaired with modern paper, somewhat discoloured throughout through use, else good condition, nineteenthcentury English brown tooled calf over pasteboards, now cracking at spine
Lot Note	The text of this large and handsome English bible opens in Exodus 6:2 and ends at II St. Peter 1:14. It is a very early example of a one-volume Bible, still in the formative period. The prologues agree with those recorded by Ker (MMBL, I:96-97), except that Stegmüller 327 is lacking; the prologue, "Tradunt Hebrei hunc Librum" appears in the place of Stegmüller 462; as does "Post eas manifestavit" in place of Stegmüller 677; and "Paulus apostolus non ab hominibus" appears instead of Stegmüller 640.
Estimated Price	GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00( USD 15100.00 - USD 22650.00)
Actual Price	GBP 46,850.00 ( USD 70743.50)