[Latin Vulgate] Gospels, with marginal commentary on Matthew chapters 1-9 from THOMAS AQUINAS, Catena aurea in Matthaeum (The Golden Chain on Matthew)

BOOK DESCRIPTION: TINY, LOVELY AND UNUSUAL. The four Gospels transformed into a humanist book for personal use and study. Dimensions 113 x 77 mm. In Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment, Italy (Florence?), c. 1475-1500, 258 folios on very thin parchment of exceptionally fine quality, written in gray ink in a very fine humanistic script in single column on 21 lines, rubrics (including chapter numbers in capitals) in green or red inks, with four very fine 6-line illuminated initials. BINDING: bound in Paris c. 1800-1828 in red morocco, both covers gold tooled with a fine border with palmettes and a centerpiece, minor signs of wear on the leather but (truncated) in overall excellent condition. TEXT: The four Gospels, copied throughout the Middle Ages in manuscripts made for liturgical use, are transformed in this manuscript into a humanist book for personal use and study. Its beautiful script, sometimes in goldleaf, and lovely illuminated initials are noteworthy. Intriguingly, this manuscript has traditionally been associated with one of the most influential men of the Renaissance Italy, Girolamo Savonarola, and its marginal commentary comes from Thomas Aquinas, whose writings Savonarola studied in detail. PROVENANCE: The beautiful humanistic script of this manuscript denotes that it was made in Italy, perhaps in Florence, in the last quarter of the fifteenth century; an inscription on the front flyleaf, "In usum...Savonarol ...", is evidence of an association of our manuscript with Girolamo Savonarola, the famous Florentine preacher that dates to the late fifteenth- or sixteenth century; On the front pastedown, engraved ex-libris of I. R. Delmas with the Greek word ΕΞΟΧΟΤΕΡΩΣ (Exactly) amid books under a sundial; sold by Renaud-Giquello in Paris on 8 February 2006, lot 132. CONDITION: minor water damage in the inner margins of some leaves, minor signs of use, in overall excellent condition. [TM 1323] (Inventory #: TM 1323)