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MSS. Kennicott


Kennicott Manuscripts

The manuscripts acquired by the Hebrew biblical scholar Benjamin Kennicott (1718-83) include a small number of Latin Bibles amongst primarily Hebrew collection.

Shelfmark MS. Kennicott 13
Summary Catalogue no. Not in SC (late accession): description unpublished, only available in Library
Summary of contents Bible (Genesis to Judges, imperfect).
Language Latin
Origin English or Norman (?)
Date c. 1100
Material parchment

Decoration
Good initials (partly mutilated). (P&A iii. 66)
fol. 98v
Type drawing, left margin
Subject Nude human figure.

Bibliography
1999
Richard Gameson, The manuscripts of Early Norman England (c. 1066-1130), Oxford, etc.: OUP for The British Academy, 1999, p. 138 no. 733
1994
David N. Dumville, 'English libraries before 1066: use and abuse of the manuscript evidence' [revised version of article first printed 1981], in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts: basic readings, ed. Mary P. Richards (Basic Readings in Anglo-Saxon England, vol. 2 = Garland Reference Library of the Humanities, vol. 1434), New York & London 1994, pp. 169-219, at p. 200 [= Gneuss no. 645]

Shelfmark MS. Kennicott 14
Summary Catalogue no. Not in SC (late accession): description unpublished, only available in Library
Summary of contents Bible.
Language Latin
Origin English
Date 13th century, middle (fols. 1-387v), 14th century (fols. 388 - end)
Material parchment

Decoration
Large red and blue initials with penwork (fols. 1-387v). Plain red initials (fols. 388 - end).

Shelfmark MS. Kennicott 15
Summary Catalogue no. Not in SC (late accession): description unpublished, only available in Library
Summary of contents Bible.
Language Latin
Origin English or French
Date 13th century, first half
Material parchment

Decoration
Fine historiated and other initials. By two hands. (P&A iii. 385, pl. XXXIV)
Pink and blue initials on gold, pink and blue background, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage and flowers, grotesques, beasts, birds, animal masks, human and animal heads on pp. 2, 32, 57, 75, 99, 121, 136, 152, 156, 177, 195, 215, 235, 251, 274, 298, 304, 312, 321, 337, 338, 339, 350, 357, 364, 357r, 371, 380, 388, 397, 543, 574, 587, 591, 593, 599, 607, 609, 617, 638, 673, 687, 705, 727, 735, 749, 752, 754, 756, 758, 759, 762, 763, 764, 765, 772, 792, 794 (mutilated), 798, 800, 802.
Smaller gold initials on pink and blue background on pp. 3, 120, 154, 234, 273, 280, 288, 297, 303, 311, 319, 414, 428, 444, 469, 500, 537, 572, 596, 591, 593, 597, 598, 599, 602, 603, 605, 607, 608, 614, 616, 652, 672, 685, 704, 765, 771, 792, 801.
Historiated initials on gold and blue background:
p. 339
Type initial B
Subject A scribe seated at a lectern, writing, in the upper part of the initial; King David playing psaltery in the lower part of the initial (Psalm 1).
p. 350
Type initial D
Subject Anointment of David. Samuel holds a horn with oil over David's head (Psalm 26).
p. 357
Type initial D
Subject King David pointing to his mouth (Psalm 38).
p. 364
Type initial D
Subject Fool holding a club (Psalm 51).
p. 371
Type initial S
Subject Half-figure of Christ, holding a book and blessing, in the upper part of the initial; King David praying in waters in the lower part of the initial (Psalm 68).
p. 380
Type initial E
Subject King David playing psaltery in the upper part of the initial; musician playing fiddle in the lower part of the initial; other musical instrumsnts are shown in both parts (Psalm 82).
p. 388
Type (initial C)
Subject Half-figure of Christ, holding a book and blessing, in the upper part of the initial; two men looking up in the lower part of the initial (Psalm 97).
p. 397
Type (initial D)
Subject Seated bearded saint, holding a book, inviting another saint to sit to his right (Psalm 109).
p. 416
Type (initial P)
Subject Seated master instructing three tonsured pupils, one holding a book (Proverbs).
p. 428
Type (initial U)
Subject Seated king (Ecclesiastes).
p. 433
Type (initial O)
Subject Christ holding consecrated bread and placing a crown on the head of the Church, who stands before him holding a chalice (The Song of Songs).
p. 435
Type (initial D)
Subject King seated, holding a sceptre (Wisdom).
p. 445
Type (initial O)
Subject Seated young man, holding a scroll with lettering 'SALOMON' (Ecclesiasticus).
p. 472
Type (initial U)
Subject Isaiah, holding a scroll with letterin 'ISAIA PROPHETA' (Isaiah).
p. 503
Type (initial U)
Subject Ieremiah, holding a scroll with lettering ' IEREMIAS PROPHETA' (?) (partly rubed off) (Ieremiah).
p. 597
Type (initial U)
Subject Obadiah seated, holding a book, finger raised in a gesture of teaching (Obadiah).
p. 599
Type (initial U)
Subject Micah seated, holding a book (Micah).
p. 602
Type (initial O)
Subject Nahum seated, holding a book (Nahum).
p. 604
Type (initial O)
Subject Habakkuk seated, holding a book (Habakkuk).
p. 606
Type (initial U)
Subject Zephaniah standing, hands raised (Zephaniah).
p. 614
Type (initial O)
Subject Malachias, seated, holding a book (Malachias).
p. 653
Type (initial L)
Subject Jesse Tree: sleeping Jesse and a small scene of Annunciation in the horizontal bar of L; two seated kings, Virgin Mary and Christ in the vertical bar of L; coiled tendrils, flowers and leaves in the background (St. Matthew's Gospel).
p. 743
Type (initial P)
Subject St. Paul seated, holding a book (Corinthians II).

Bibliography
2000
Richard H. Rouse & Mary A. Rouse, Illiterati et uxorati: manuscripts and their makers. Commercial book producers in medieval Paris 1200-1500, 2 vols., Turnhout: Harvey Miller Publishers, an imprint of Brepols Publishers, 2000, I 337 n. 105
1994
Laura Light, 'French Bibles c. 1200-30: a new look at the origin of the Paris Bible', in The early medieval bible: its production, decoration and use, ed. Richard Gameson, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 155-76, at pp. 157-74, esp. p. 174

Shelfmark MS. Kennicott 16
Summary Catalogue no. Not in SC (late accession): description unpublished, only available in Library
Summary of contents Bible.
Language Latin
Origin English
Date 13th century, end
Material parchment

Decoration
Good historiated and other initials. Fols. 330-4 saec. xv, inserted. (P&A iii. 497)
Blue and pink initials on gold background, decorated with floral designs and gold disks.
Historiated initials:
fol. 1r
Type initial F
Subject St Jerome with pen and knife, writing, seated before a lectern (St Jerome's Prefaces).
fol. 25r
Type initial H
Subject Standing figure with raised hands (Exodus).
fol. 43r
Type initial U
Subject Moses, holding a book and looking at the golden calf. (Leviticus).
fol. 53av
Type initial L
Subject Nimbed figure, holding a scroll. (Numbers).
fol. 71r
Type initial H
Subject Tonsured figure, holding a scroll, standing on the terminal of the initial. (Deuteronomy).
fol. 86v
Type initial E
Subject Joshua and his army looking at the walls of Jericho. (Joshua).
fol. 79r
Type initial P
Subject Geometric and floral designs, animal head. (Judges).
fol. 107av
Type initial I
Subject Floral designs, human head. (Ruth).
fol. 110r
Type initial F
Subject Young man, holding out hands to two women. (I Samuel = I Kings).
fol. 125v
Type initial F
Subject David lamenting the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. (II Samuel = II Kings).
fol. 138r
Type initial E
Subject David, crowned, in bed, with Abishag standing by his side. (II Kings = III Kings).
fol. 152r
Type initial P
Subject Grotesque with human head; animal head. (II Kings = IV Kings).
fol. 192v
Type initial I
Subject Floral designs, human head. (I Esdras).
fol. 196v
Type initial E
Subject Esdras, seated, holding an open book. (II Esdras).
fol. 203r
Type initial T
Subject Tobias speaking to an angel. (Tobias).
fol. 207r
Type initial A
Subject Judith slaying Holofernes. (Judith).
fol. 212v
Type initial I
Subject King Ahasverus. (Esther).
fol. 218v
Type initial U
Subject Job in bed; his wife standing by his side. (Job).
fol. 229r
Type initial B
Subject David seated, playing psaltery. (Psalm 1).
fol. 235r
Type initial D
Subject Tonsured figure, holding an open book. (Psalm 38).
fol. 245v
Type initial C
Subject Two tonsured clerics, singing from an open book. (Psalm 97).
fol. 248r
Type initial D
Subject Grotesque. (Psalm 109).
fol. 264r
Type initial U
Subject Preacher, holding a book, both hands outstretched. (Ecclesiastes).
fol. 268v
Type initial O
Subject Grotesque. (The Song of Songs).
fol. 270r
Type initial D
Subject Young man, holding a scroll. Fish. (Wisdom).
fol. 277r
Type initial D
Subject Young man, seated, holding a book. (Ecclesiasticus).
fol. 295v
Type initial U
Subject Isaiah with hands raised in admonition. (Isaiah).
fol. 318r
Type initial U
Subject Jeremiah, finger raised in admonition. (Jeremiah).
fol. 351r
Type initial E
Subject Ezekiel with a scroll. (Ezekiel).
fol. 384r
Type initial U
Subject Hosea speaking to God, kneeling before a lectern with an open book. (Hosea).
fol. 389v
Type initial U
Subject Amos with finger raised in admonition. (Amos).
fol. 395v
Type initial O
Subject Young man in short tunic. (Nahum).
fol. 397r
Type initial O
Subject Habakkuk holding a book. (Habakkuk).
fol. 398v
Type initial U
Subject Zephaniah holding an open book. (Zephaniah).
fol. 399v
Type initial I
Subject Aggeus holding a scroll. (Aggeus).
fol. 404v
Type initial O
Subject Tonsured Malachias with raised finger. (Malachias).
fol. 418r
Type initial F
Subject Tonsured figure holding a scroll. (Machabees II).
fol. 428v
Type initial L
Subject St. Matthew, seated at desk, writing. (St. Matthew's Gospel).
fol. 442v
Type initial I
Subject Young man with raised hands, standing on the back of a bird. (St. Mark's Gospel).
fol. 452r
Type initial F
Subject St. Luke, seated at desk, writing. (St. Luke's Gospel).
fol. 478v
Type initial P
Subject St. Paul holding a sword. (Romans).
fol. 490r
Type initial P
Subject Figure in long cloak beating a half-naked kneeling figure with a rod. (Corinthians II).
fol. 494r
Type initial P
Subject St. Paul holding a sword and a book. (Galatians).
fol. 496r
Type initial P
Subject Kneeling figure, holding a book. (Ephesians).
fol. 498r
Type initial P
Subject Two figures holding a book. (Philippians).
fol. 499v
Type initial P
Subject Half-figure with raised hands. (Colossians).
fol. 502r
Type initial P
Subject Two figures converse; buildings in the background. (Thessalonians II).
fol. 504v
Type initial P
Subject Seated figure, holding a scroll. (Timothy II).
fol. 506r
Type initial P
Subject Figure in hat and cloak, leaning on a staff. (Philemon).
fol. 506v
Type initial M
Subject Two figures converse. (Hebrews).
fol. 511r
Type initial P
Subject Grotesque with rabbit's head, playing pipe. (Acts).
fol. 528r
Type initial P
Subject St Peter, holding keys. (I Epistle of St Peter).
fol. 530v
Type initial Q
Subject St John, holding a book. (I Epistle of St John).
fol. 532r
Type initial S
Subject Tonsured figure in short tunic. (III Epistle of St John).
fol. 532v
Type initial I
Subject St Jude, seated, reading a book. (Epistle of St Jude).
fol. 533r
Type initial A
Subject Figure with raised hand. (Apocalypse).

LwM 08 July 2011