Lot 136A
Western Europe, northeastern Italy, Venice, ca. 1729 CE. A monumental Roman choir antiphonary, printed in Venice in 1729 by Nicolaus Pezzana, one of the foremost Venetian publishers of liturgical works. The full title, printed in red and black, reads: "Antiphonarium Romanum de Tempore et Sanctis ad normam Breviarii ex decreto Sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini restituti, S. Pii V. Pontificis Maximi jussu editi, Clementis VIII. ac Urbani VIII. auctoritate recogniti; editio omnium optima." Translated: "Roman Antiphonary of the Seasons and the Saints, in accordance with the Breviary, restored by decree of the Most Holy Council of Trent, published by order of Pope Pius V, revised under Popes Clement VIII and Urban VIII; the best of all editions." This massive volume preserves the standardized chants of the Divine Office established after the Council of Trent (1545 to 1563) for the Roman Rite. Size: 4.5" L x 14.9" W x 21.5" H (11.4 cm x 37.8 cm x 54.6 cm)
Printed on fine laid paper with visible chainlines and Venetian watermarks, the text is arranged in bold black Gothic type with rubrics in red. The musical notation, characteristic of post-Tridentine chant books, is rendered in large square neumes on four red staves, designed to be easily read by a group of singers gathered around a lectern.
Openings include sections for "Dominica Palmarum" (Palm Sunday) and "Feria VI in Parasceve" (Good Friday), aligning the volume with the liturgical cycle of Holy Week. The binding is of full brown calf over heavy wooden boards, tooled in blind with intersecting fillets forming a diamond pattern. Both boards are fitted with domed brass bosses at the center and corners and reinforced by conical iron studs along the edges to protect the leather when the book rested flat on a lectern. A fragment of the original brass clasp remains at the fore edge, and several green fabric marker ribbons, once used by the cantor, survives within.
The paper leaves retain a bright, crisp impression, the red rules deeply struck and the black type sharply inked. An ink inscription on the front endpaper reads "Coro di S. Nicolao" ("Choir of St. Nicholas"), suggesting that this antiphonary once belonged to a church or monastic choir dedicated to St. Nicholas. Two plausible candidates exist: the Monastery of San Nicolo al Lido in Venice, a Benedictine house long associated with liturgical scholarship and music, or the Chiesa di San Nicolao in Milan. However, the Roman Rite contents, rather than Ambrosian (used in Milan), strongly favor the Venetian attribution. The binding style, with its dense array of iron corner bosses and edge studs, also aligns closely with Venetian workshop practices of the early 18th century.
Antiphonaries of this monumental scale were indispensable to communal worship before printed choir books became portable. They served as both musical and devotional instruments - the great heart of the choir from which sacred sound radiated. Venice, with its advanced printing houses and maritime trade, became the chief supplier of such volumes throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. Surviving examples of Pezzana's large-format editions, particularly those retaining their original metal-studded bindings, are prized both for their craftsmanship and their testament to centuries of sung devotion.
Of note: should these individual hymnal pages come to market, they typically sell for about $200 per page, underscoring the exceptional value of this complete and intact volume.
Provenance: Private collection from The Estate of Francis and Marion Lederer, important Hollywood family, collected between 1930 and 1980
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#199020
- Condition: One brass and leather strap is detached; other is missing. Some tearing and fraying to binding, spine, and cover. Repair to end pages and some perforations to pages throughout. Expected small stains and foxing. Fraying to green cloth bookmarks. Otherwise, excellent presentation with clear script and music. Front endpaper is inscribed "Coro di S. Nicolao" ("Choir of St. Nicholas").
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