Bloomsbury Auctions

All lots are offered subject to the Conditions of Sale and Business printed in this catalogue, and reserves.
Lot 1
1. Chinese Oracle Bone, ox SC a p u l a, bone fragment with
scratched inscription containing 14 characters in 4 columns,
marked, in a modern red and gold silk-covered box, c. 70 x 85 mm.,
[Anyang, China,fourteenth - twelfth century B.C.]. £600 - £800
*** Nearly all known Chinese oracle bones derive from a single
site, Xiaotun, near the ancient capital of the Late Shang Dynasty of
Anyang. The texts found on them record the oracular interpretation
of the pattern of cracks on the bone formed by the application of
extreme heat and are the earliest preserved evidence of the use of
Chinese script in complete meaningful sentences. They are thought
to date from the 14th to the 12th century B.C. and to belong to a
royal archive of oracular records.
2. Italy.- no ta r i a l at t e S tat i o n r e l at i n g to al u y C h a w i d o w o f
t h e n o b l e m a n ro m a n u S ma m u S e n, attested by Nicolaurus Brebous
subdean of Saint Patrenian and Bonaventura Pleba, manuscript in
Latin, 22 lines, in brown ink, yellowed and marked, 273 x 154mm.,
24th November 1333. £100 - £150
Lot 3
3. Law.- Si n g l e l e a f f r o m a l e g a l t r e at i S e, manuscript in Latin,
on vellum, double column, 21 lines of text, surrounded by up to 80
lines of commentary, written in black ink in two sizes of gothic book
hand, with many additions in margins and blank areas in an even
smaller less formal hand, 4 2-line initials in red or blue, decorated
in the contrasting colour, headings, initials, &c in red or blue,
little marked & rubbed, 465 x 300 mm., [Italy, fourteenth century].
£150 - £200
❦ Continental Manuscripts
Lot 4
4. Book of Hours, t w o l e av e S, illuminated manuscript on vellum,
in Latin, 14-15 lines, verso of 1 f. blank, written in black ink in a
gothic hand, two 2-line initials in blue, and several 1-line initails
in gold or blue, with pen-and-ink decoration in red or blue, red
and blue line-filers, some marking, (168 x 120 mm.),[France, 15th
century] § Breviary, single leaf, decorated manuscript on vellum,
in Latin, double column, 31 lines, written in black ink in a small
gothic hand, several 2 line initials in blue with marginal pen-andink
decoration in red, other initials in red, some marking, (165 x
120 mm.), [Netherlands, late fourteenth century], card mounts (3).
£200 - £400
Lot 5
5. Missal.- Si n g l e l e a f, manuscript in Latin on vellum, double
column, 30 lines, written in black ink in a round gothic liturgical
hand, several 2-line initials in red or blue decorated in the
contrasting colour, rubrics in red, initials touched with yellow, little
marked, 335 x 235 mm., [Italy, fifteenth century]. £100 - £150
BLOOMSBURY AUCTIONS
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