An illuminated latin bible leaf on vellum, 13th century

BIBLE MANUSCRIPT. An illuminated Latin Bible leaf on vellum. France, 13th century.
 
Manuscript leaf on vellum, 90 x 150 mm, written in two columns of approximately 50 lines in a neat Gothic bookhand, with alternating red and blue paragraph initials and an elaborate red and blue pen-flourished initial extending the height of the text. Light age-toning and a few marginal stains, but an attractive, well-preserved leaf. Window-mounted in a later conservation mount, overall 250 x 320 mm, with the original Folio Fine Art Ltd. stock label to the reverse.
 
A medieval 13th century Bible leaf. During the thirteenth century the Paris Bible became the standard format for portable Bibles across Europe, copied by professional scribes on fine vellum and decorated with coloured initials to aid navigation through the text. Individual leaves such as this were dispersed from incomplete or damaged manuscripts. The contemporary pen flourishing and clean Gothic script make this an especially pleasing example.