Inv. MA 2033
Front cover: Crucifixion; swooning Virgin supported by Holy Women; saint John the Evangelist and onlookers holding scrolls.
Painted miniatures with apostles on paper inside:
Inside front cover: saint Peter holding a key; pattern of stars on the background. Text: Ich gelaub i[n] got vat[er] almechtige[r] schepfer himels un[d] d[er?] erden.
f. 1r: saint Andrew holding the saltire cross; pattern of stars on the background. Text: 'Und in Ihesum x[pistu]m sem emgeporen sun unsern herren'. Ink inscription on the edge: 'andreas'.
f. 1v: saint James the Greater holding a scallop shell; pilgrim's hat; pattern of stars on the background. Text: 'Der enpfange[n] ist von dem heiligen geist geporen aus Maria der Junckfrawen.' Ink inscription on the edge: 'Jacobus'.
f. 2r: saint John the Evangelist holding the poisoned cup; snakes; pattern of stars on the background. Text: 'Gemartert unt[er] po[n]cio pylato gekreuzigt gestorben un[d] begraben.'
f. 2v: saint Thomas holding a spear and closed book; pattern of stars on the background. Text: 'Rider fure zu der helle am dritte[n] tag erstund von den toten.' Ink inscription on the edge: 'Tomas'.
f. 3r: unidentified saint holding a banner (?) pierced with a quatrefoil. Text: 'Auf fure zu himel sizt zu der rechten hant gots des almechtigen vaters'.
f. 3v: saint Philip holding a cross; Text: 'Von da[n]ne er kunftig ist zu richte[n] die lebe[n]dige[n] un[d] die toten.' Ink inscription on the edge: 'Philippus'.
f. 4r: saint Bartholomew holding a flaying knife. Text: 'Ich gelaub in den heiligen geyst'. Ink inscription on the edge: 'Bartolomeus'.
f. 4v: saint Jude (Thaddeus) (?) holding an axe and a book; saint James the Lesser holding a fuller's club; pattern of stars on the background. Text: Die heilige[n] kriste[n?]liche[n] kyrchen gemeinschaft der heiligen. Schlass der sunden'.
Inside of the back cover: saint Simon holding a saw (mistakenly identified in the inscription as Judas); saint Paul (? identified as saint Matthias in the inscription?) holding a sword with two blades. Text: 'Auf ersteung des gleyschs und ewigs leben. Amen'. Ink inscription on the edge: 'judas', 'mathias'.
Back cover: Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds; musician shepherd holding a wind instrument.
Pointed trefoils in the spandrels.
Koechlin 1924: France, 2nd half of the 14th century; miniatures: Germany, 1st half of the 15th century.
Berliner 1926: France, 2nd half of the 14th century; miniatures: 15th century.
Nuremberg 2000: France (Paris?), 2nd half of the 14th century; miniatures: France (Paris?), c. 1400.
Munich 2010: Western Germany (?), end of the 14th century; miniatures: Central Germany, c. 1420.
Museum's opinion 2013: Western Germany (?), end of the 14th century; paintings: Nuremberg, c. 1410.
Attribution
Unknown
Polychromy - Gilding
Painted parchment with miniatures accompanied by the Creed in German written in Gothic script.
Reverse
The reverse of the outer tablets is recessed to receive the wax, with a raised border. Inner tablets are recessed on both sides.
Provenance
Collection of Andreas Ulrich Mayr (b. 1732, d. 1802), councillor and chaplain at the court of the Regensburg prince-bishops (Regensburger Fürstbischöflichen Rat und Hofkaplan): his sale, Regensburg, 1803, lot 181 (Verzeichniss einer auserlesenen Sammlung von Elfenbein-Arbeiten welche weil. S.T. Herr Andreas Udalrich Mayr hinterlassen hat, Regensburg, 1803, lot 181); acquired for the royal collections; transferred from the Königliche Vereinigte Sammlungen to the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich in 1866.
Bibliography
Das Bayerische Nationalmuseum (Munich, 1868), p. 73.
Das Mittelalter. II, Gotische Alterthümer der Baukunst und Bildnerei, by H. Graf, G. Hager and J. A. Mayer (Munich, 1896), VI, no. 1400, pl. XXVIII.
R. Koechlin, Les Ivoires gothiques français (Paris, 1924), I, p. 211; II, no. 452.
R. Berliner, Die Bildwerke des Bayerischen Nationalmuseums, IV. Die Bildwerke in Elfenbein, Knochen, Hirsch- und Steinbockhorn, mit einem Anhange: Elfenbeinarbeiten der Staatlichen Schlossmuseen in Bayern (Augsburg, 1926), no. 50.
H. Wentzel, 'Ein Elfenbeinbüchlein zur Passionandacht', in Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch XXIV (1962), pp. 193-212, fig. 110-111.
Spiegel der Seligkeit: Privates Bild und Frömmigkeit im Spätmittelalter, ed. by G. U. Großmann, exhibition catalogue, Nuremberg, 2000, pp. 278-279, no. 103.
Mittelalterliche Elfenbeinarbeiten: ausgewählte Werke aus den Beständen des Bayerischen Nationalmuseums, ed. by R. Eikelmann, M. Weniger and C. Melzer, exhibition catalogue, Munich, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, 2010, no. 16.
P. Williamson and G. Davies, Medieval Ivory Carvings 1200-1550 (London, 2014), in relation to no. 121.
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