Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Gradual
Italy, Rome, ca. 1519
MS M.912 fol. 1

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Magi: Adoration -- Virgin Mary, veiled, seated on chair, holds in her lap nude Christ Child, with hands extended toward magus, with sword belted at his waist, kneeling with hands crossed on his breast beside hat on ground. Behind him is kneeling magus, holding vessel, and third magus, black, wearing hat, standing and holding vessel in both hands. Beside Mary is block-like table or altar, upon which is vessel. Around the block stand figure wearing hat, and Joseph the Carpenter. Child stands behind. Scene in ruin (?), with columns, with distant landscape in background. All enclosed in decorated initial E, with gems and pearls, foliate ornament, and masks. Around the initial are flowers, pearls, birds, rabbit, and dog.
Margins with stylized foliage, inhabited by birds. In top margin are two pairs of spinxes, with center medallion enclosing angel, amid clouds, holding scroll inscribed ALIAM REVERTIMI VIAM (?). In left margin is medallion with diamond (?) ring, at center of which is inscribed GLOVIS; in right margin is medallion with yoke and scroll inscribed SVAVE. In margin is medallion, flanked by half-figures of bare-breasted women, enclosing escutcheon with arms of pope Leo X, surmounted by the keys of Saint Peter and a triple crown papal tiara with cross-inscribed infulae.
Square musical notation on five-line red staves.