Beautiful painted white vine initial, Augustine’s Commentary on John’s Gospel, Italy C12th

AUGUSTINE, St. Tractatus in Iohannem, Homilies. Leaf with finely painted initial, parchment. Italy (probably Tuscany), mid-twelfth century.

435mm x 307mm, double column, 44 lines in an elegant and precise Romanesque bookhand without biting curves with a strong st-ligature and capitals within text often following Carolingian forms (‘M’ and ‘A’ in particular) small contemporary corrections in a hand with a broken ct-ligature (the ‘t’ leaning back, but not touching the ‘c’), a number of later notes showing use through thirteenth century at least, written space 310mm x 210mm, titles and rubrics in red ornamental capitals, original prickings in the margin preserved, some skin side of laves slightly discoloured through grain pattern of hair follicles, vellum slightly cockled, minor spots else in excellent condition.
Large Romanesque white-vine style decoration 6-line painted drop capital Q in red, orange, blue and green with inter-twined white vines. Red running heads indicating the number of the homily.