Very large manuscript with white vine initial, German C12th

[Passion of St. Ignatius] Leaf from a very large Passional, manuscript in Latin, on parchment, Germany, c.1150.

47cm x 32cm. Single very large leaf, with double column of 40 lines in a professional Germanic early gothic hand, with a rectangular aspect to letters and without biting curves, one interlinear addition, capitals touched with pen strokes, small initials in red (one with ornamental foliate flourish at end of descender), one large initial ‘C’ (opening ‘cum Trajanus Romanorum..’the initial words of the Passion of St. Ignatius for 1st Feb.) in blank parchment white vine initial on pale green and ruby red grounds, two early repairs to holes in leaf, medieval folio no. 133 at head, pricking for lines visible in outer vertical edge, but probably trimmed on all other sides, reverse with initial darkened and a little scuffed, overall in very good condition.

An impressively large leaf from what must have been an austere and beautiful example of the early German book arts.