London, British Library, Ms Yates Thompson 21, 127r, c. 1380 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on British Library on-line Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts)

Parchment, measure: 317x225 (243x175) in two columns fols. 171 (+ 2 paper flyleaves at the beginning, and 2 at the end).

Scene depicted

Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence

Miniature description

Size:

317x225mm (243x175mm)

Column miniature

Height: 5 lines

Materials:

Parchment

Red, green, blue, grey

Rubric:

Directly above miniature: "Le preeschement genius"

Frame:

Simple frame with triple black lines. Green foliate extenders are located on the left, bottom, and right sides. Small green "sperm" also extend from the left, bottom, and right sides of the frame.

Background:

Pattern with red birds, green trees, outlined in blue. Probably a heraldic motif.

Placement of miniature:

Directly before Genius gives his definitive sentence

Place of Production of the Miniature:

Central Paris, France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1380

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Gestures:

BNCFCLAD, 153, 232v

BWAM, W. 143, fol 128r

BSG, Ms. 1126, fol 140r

BG, FR178, fol. 143v

PML, MS. 324, fol. 129r

BFMUM, H245, fol. 119r

PML, MS. 132, fol. 138v

BNF, MS fr. 12595, fol. 140r

Composition:

PML, MS. 132, fol. 138v

Secondary sources:

A Descriptive Catalogue of the Second Series of Fifty Manuscripts (Nos. 51 to 100) in the Collection of Henry Yates Thompson. Cambridge: UP, 1902, no. 77: pp. 186-88.

Egbert, Virginia Wylie. The Mediaeval Artist at Work. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1967: p. 76, pl. 28.

Watson, Andrew G. Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c. 700-1600 in The Department of Manuscripts: The British Library, 2 vols. London: British Library, 1979, I, 168 [rejected].

Detailed description

Allegories:

Genius is on the left.

The barons and ladies from the God of Love's court are on the right.

Clothing and other features:

*All clothing is grisaille.

1. Genius

Long habit
Chasuble
Mitre
Short curly hair

2. The barons and the ladies

Cotehardies
Long robes
Hoods, some of them looking like a Phrygian cap

Gestures:

Genius is standing, holding a piece of parchment (Nature's confession) in his right hand and pointing up with his left hand, indicating a gesture of speech.

All the barons and ladies are sitting down. One of the barons and one lady have their hands underneath their chins, palms facing up. Others have their hands crossed. The crowd seem to be listening to Genius.

Objects:

Genius is standing behind a pulpit that has a white sheet draped over the front. There is also a gold crozier behind Genius.

Ex-libris

Fol. 1r: inscribed Paraphé au desir de l'arret du cinq Juillet mil sept cens soixante trois. Mesnil. This inscription was written in all the manuscripts belonging to this Library before they were sold in 1764 upon the expulsion of the Jesuits from France (see Léopold Delisle, Le Cabinet des Manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Impériale, 3 vols (Paris: Imprimérie Impériale, 1868-81), I, 436); described in the sale catalogue of the Jesuits' Library manuscripts in 1764 (see Catalogus Manuscriptorum Codicum Collegii Claromontani, Paris: [n. pub.], 1764, no. 830 315-16).
Two former possessors mentioned in this catalogue, Guillaume Richerot and Achilles Herbelin.
Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham; his Appendix Ms. 171; bought from Woodburn, November 1851, for £20, according to the handwritten annotations in the BL Manuscript Department's copy of Catalogue of the Manuscripts at Ashburnham Place: Appendix (London: Hodgson, 1853).
Bertram Ashburnham, 5th earl of Ashburnham: his sale, May 1897, bought by Yates Thompson together with the entire Ashburnham Appendix: book-plate with an inscribed number From the Library of the Earl of Ashburnham Appendix no. CLXXI May 1897 (inside upper cover).
Henry Yates Thompson (b. 1838, d. 1928), collector of illuminated manuscripts and newspaper proprietor: with his book-plate inscribed [MS] 77 / £bne.e.e [i.e. £150.0.0] / [bought from] Earl of / Ashburnham / 1897 (inside upper cover). Bequeathed to the British Museum in 1941 by Mrs. Henry Yates Thompson.