A precious collection of psalms dating from 1478 is set to be auctioned on June 14 in Brussels at Arenberg Auctions. The psalter, handwritten and decorated by the nuns of the Brigittine convent Mariënwater in the Netherlands, is preserved in exceptional condition, featuring its original binding in calf leather.
The auction will commence with a starting bid of €40,000. According to Arenberg Auctions, the psalm collection is "a rare vestige of the largely forgotten religious culture of the Netherlands." The Psalter consists of 235 sheets of parchment with Latin texts, written in a "beautiful and regular handwriting." The collection contains 150 psalms from the Old Testament, in addition to songs and litanies.
"With its 21 large initials, graceful vines, and impeccable condition, it is an object that has few equals," said Henri Godts, an auction expert at Arenberg Auctions, according to Het Nieuwsblad. "What makes it even more remarkable is that the monastic order was a double monastery, with men and women forming one religious community. Even though they did not live under one roof, it was very unusual for that time."
The psalter was in the possession of a Belgian collector, who wished to remain anonymous, for several decades. Arenberg Auctions noted that producing such a work likely took nearly a whole year and more than a hundred sheepskins for the parchment, which must have cost a fortune at the time. "Each page probably required at least a whole day's work in the scriptorium, the workshop of the monastery where the texts were copied," the auction house added.
"It is unique and something very special that such a book is being auctioned," Godts remarked, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.