Music:Prague notation on five-line staffs inked in red. Using the punctum, pes, clivis(?), plica(?) or other liquescent, and other unidentified ligatures. Pitch given by F letter clefs on the third or fourth line of each staff (where visible). A B-flat accidental appears on fragment 1; as the clef has been obscured, it is not possible to say with certainty what pitch it modifies, but it is most likely an E-flat or B-flat. The large size of both notation and text as well as the low register of the chant melodies indicates that the original manuscript was indeed intended for choral performance. Undoubtedly produced in or near Prague due to the distinctive regional notation; the rhomb-shaped noteheads are characteristic of the city’s medieval sign system.
Written in Germany in the middle of the fifteenth century, to judge from script, decoration, and the latest watermark; the copying, and perhaps the composition, are the owner’s. Acquired by Bernard Rosenthal, San Francisco, in or before 1983 (his no. 53, folio 1); bought from Rosenthal in March 1988 by Richard and Mary Rouse. Given to UCLA in 2005.
Text in bolorgir, written in one column of 18-19 lines. Subtitles in red bolorgir, and initials throughout the text in red erkatagir and notragir capital letters. Because of the defective stat of the codex, the number of quires and of leaves in the gatherings cannot be determined.
Text in bolorgir, written in two columns of 21 lines each. Subtitles in red bolorgir, and initials in red erkat’agir.The original codex must have had at least 15 quires; currently, the last numbered quire has the number 15 written in the lower margin on fol. 146. Some complete quires suggest that the gatherings probably consisted of 12 leaves each. As is customary, the quires are numbered with the letters of the Armenian alphabet written in bolorgir in the lower margin of the page.
Text in minuscule bolorgir, written in one column of 18 lines. The nine calendrical tables at the beginning of the codex are in black and red bolorgir, and the initials of the titles in each column are in red or blue erkat’agir. Subtitles throughout the text are in red bolorgir, with the initials of the subtitles in red erkat’agir. Seven quires with gatherings of 10 or 12 leaves; all except the last two quires are numbered with the letters of the Armenian alphabet, written in bolorgir in the lower margin of the page.
Paper, 120 folios. Text in bolorgir, written in one column of 16 lines. Folios 96v-120v, also in bolorgir, are written by a different hand. Subtitles are in red bolorgir. The first lines of individual texts are in magenta erkat’agir, and the second lines are in red bolorgir. Large red erkat’agir initials throughout the codex.Thirteen quires numbered with the letters of the Armenian alphabet, written in bolorgir in the lower margin of the page. Each quire appears to have had gatherings of 12 leaves.
Fragments of three different liturgical texts bound together. Each fragment is described separately as follows:Fragment I: Text in minuscule bolorgir, and initials throughout the text in red notragir capitals.Fragment II: Text in notragir, written in one column of 18 lines. Subtitles in red ink, and initials throughout the text in red notragir capitals. Musical notations on fols. 128-139v, 165v-201.Fragment III: Text in notragir, written in one column of 16 lines. Some subtitles in bolorgir and others in notragir in red ink, and initials in red notragir capitals.With few exceptions, the quires in the three fragments are not numbered.
Parchment, upper portion of 1 leaf. 4 lines of text and 4 1/2 staves survive; text not ruled. Gothic bookhand in liturgical style (littera textualis formata); blackish ink. Initials plain red or touched with red; German gothic notation on staves of 4 lines, the line of F in red, that of C in green.
Antiphonal. Parchment, 1 leaf cropped at margins. 12 lines of text with music; ruling not discernible. Liturgical gothic bookhand (littera textualis formata); dark brown ink. Primary initials alternately red and blue; initials in the text are elaborate brown majuscule slashed with red; music in square notation on staves of 4 red lines. A gothic cursive hand (s. XV) entered several notes on the recto, upside down, when leaf was a pastedown, including "Averrois commentator cum titulos fidei voluit probare rationibus nec potuit quare apostata in fede factus est"; "Sanctus Vincentius ordinis predicatorum habuit illum donum gratie, quod loquebatur suo sermone intelligibatur ab omnibus hominibus diversarum nationum." Used as a pastedown in binding: the verso is badly rubbed.