Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Compilatio historiarum / Giovanni, da Udine
Switzerland, Basel, ca. 1476
MS M.158 fol. 41r

See more information »

Miniature, upper left: 1) Habakkuk: carried by Angel and Daniel: in Lions’ Den -- Habakkuk, holding kettle with left hand and raising right hand, is carried by angel over hillock surmounted by building, the angel grasping hair of the Habakkuk with left hand and indicating below, Daniel, wearing hat, with joined hands raised, surrounded by six lions, all with mouths open baring teeth, contained by ragged opening of cave (Daniel: in Lions’ Den). Miniature, lower left: 2) Bird: Ostrich delivering Young -- At left, ostrich grasps in beak serpent issuing from container on footed base which encloses young ostrich. Miniature, upper right: 3) Christ: treading on Beasts -- Christ, cross-nimbed, partly draped with mantle, holding with left hand cross on which is suspended crown of thorns, and with right hand, cross-inscribed bannered cross-staff, foot of cross transfixing devil, with claw feet, trampled on ground. Miniature, lower right: 4) Benaiah, Son of Jehoiada: slaying Lion -- Benaiah, wearing hat, with scimitar in sheath at waist, stands on belly of lion, transfixing the lion with spear in its mouth. Scene in hilly landscape with trees. Miniatures are proofs for Bernhard Richel’s Spiegel Menschlicher Behältnis (Basel: 1476) with biblical quotes, commentary and abbreviated extracts, written in German, for Chapters 28 (Habakkuk: carried by Angel and Bird: Ostrich delivering Young) and 29 of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis.