Swabian Illuminator
Jacob’s Dream
Written in Latin, a leaf from the von Magenbuch Missal, the opening for the Mass for the Dedication of a Church, Terribilis est locus iste…
Germany, Swabia, likely Augsburg, circa 1450-1475
Overall dimensions, 221 x 142 mm.
Historiated initial, initial “T”, 69 x 84 mm.
Tempera, ink and gold on parchment
$12,500
This magnificently illuminated Missal fragment features a historiated initial “T” introducing the Mass for the Dedication of a Church. The scene within the initial depicts Jacob’s Dream, visually reinforcing the theological significance of sacred space. The text begins with the Introit, Terribilis est locus iste; hic domus Dei est, et porta caeli; et vocabitur aula Dei (Genesis 28:17), linking Jacob’s vision of the ladder to heaven with the Christian consecration of churches. Jacob lies sleeping on a stone, an element traditionally interpreted as the foundation of the Church. Angels ascend and descend a golden ladder, symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth, a fitting introduction to this liturgical occasion.
The illumination is richly executed in deep blue, red, and gold, with delicate white detailing. The border is particularly elaborate, featuring three symbolic birds and a heraldic shield. The golden ram naissant on a blue ground, identified as the arms of the von Magenbuch family, suggests noble patronage, possibly for a monastery or church under the family’s protection.
This fragment belongs to a larger group of known cuttings from the same manuscript, now preserved in major institutional collections, including Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; Keio University, Tokyo; and the Free Library of Philadelphia, underscoring its artistic and scholarly significance. Produced in a highly skilled Augsburg workshop, the miniature exemplifies Swabian manuscript painting at its height, blending expressive figural rendering, refined ornamentation, and noble patronage. By the mid-15th century, Augsburg had emerged as a leading center of manuscript illumination, panel painting, and printmaking, rivaling Nuremberg and Ulm. Its commercial manuscript production flourished under the patronage of wealthy patrician families, religious houses, and civic institutions, all of whom commissioned high-end liturgical books. A rare survival from a now lost 15th century liturgical masterpiece, this fragment offers a tangible connection to Augsburg’s rich manuscript tradition and the devotional culture of late medieval Germany.
SISTER LEAVES:
1. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library, MS 638 (Cambridge, UK) – Initial “T” marking the opening of the Canon of the Mass.
2. Keio University Library, Western Medieval Manuscript Collection, 170X＠9＠20 (Tokyo, Japan) – Initial “V” for the Easter Sequence.
3. Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E M 1:24 (Philadelphia, USA) – Initial “V” for the Feast of the Ascension.
PROVENANCE:
Germany, von Magenbuch family, Swabia, fifteenth century
Germany, collection of art historian and author Wilhelm Soldan (1911–1997)
LITERATURE:
Boerner, C. G. 1913. Katalog Der Bibliothek Des Königlichen Baurats Edwin Oppler - Hannover Und Einer Inkunabel-Sammlung Aus Privatbesitz, Enthaltend: Inkunabeln, Alte Drucke Bis 1520, Anstandsbücher, ... ; Versteigerung 24. Und 25. November 1913. Vol. 121. Auktions-Institut. Leipzig. https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16388.
Hamel, C. de. 2008. The Parker Chronicle. Vol. 4. Cambridge.
Morgan, N. J., and S. Panayotova. 2009. Illuminated Manuscripts in the Cambridge, 1, The Frankish Kingdoms, Northern Netherlands, Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, Austria, Meuse Region, Southern Netherlands, 2 Vols. London/Turnhout: Harvey Miller.
