ANTIPHONARY. Fragment of antiphonary. Southern... Lot 1

[ANTIPHONARY]. Fragment of antiphonary. [Southern France - Northern Italy, late 14th - 15th century]. Interesting large fragment of an antiphonary from the French-Italian area, illustrated with 56 large illuminated initials and numerous minor initials. The work opens with the Introitus and closes with the Ascension Responsory (Ascendens in altum... psalm 67). The chants are in consecution and follow the numbering: 1 ; 4, 6 (missing 5) with modern pencil numbering, 7 ; 166 (missing 65) with ancient numbering on the verso, 167-175 modern pencil numbering. The ancient numbering in Latin follows the following scheme: II-XC, XI to the recto C to the verso, I to the recto C to the verso, II; LVIII, XIX and C to the verso, LXXX to the recto C to the verso, LXXIX, LXXVIII LXXVII, in descending order to LXXI. Folio, vellum manuscript, (525 x 370mm). 173 (of 175?) leaves 3 later leaves added, 56 large illuminated initials, numerous minor initials, text in black and incipt in red, 7 lines of text, 4-line neugmatic notation (some woodworm paths at first and last leaves). Unbound, leaves loose without gatherings, without binding, contained within a 20th century morocco case. Provenance: on spine stated as 'Ligurian antiphonary'. (1)