MB Manuscript Collection

Edit: thanks to Dr Milvia Bollati for providing the Initial S from the former Longari collection below and confirming the attribution of my initials. In 2024 I purchased two clippings from a small auction house in Brooklyn.  They had been crudely pasted together by a previous owner, with faux gold leaf covering the seam in parts.  There appeared to be loss of paint, primarily to the flesh tones of the faces and arms, but the over all quality seemed quite nice despite that and I decided to go for them. After purchasing, I discovered that these two initial I's were from a known set of clippings held at numerous institutions and private collections.  A 2015 auction at Koller in Zurich , with notes to Lot 158 written by Gaudenz Freuler provided the greatest amount of help.  16 initials were known at the time of the Koller sale.  The two I's my brooklyn purchase increases the total to 18. Digital Photos Available (see below): Initial I - Jesus fasting in the de...

Hello, my name is Matt and I enjoy collecting illuminated manuscripts and early printed books.  I often post my collection online through Instagram and Twitter, which is most likely how you found this space.  I'm creating this blog as a means to dive deeper into the history and provenance of my individual pieces, not just to share with everyone else, but also to keep the documentation online rather than just trapped away on my hard drive. If you have questions, or would like to reach out to me, please email me at: xchimx [at] gmail