Rare Book collection leaf from "Breviary leaf (Florence, Italy, 1465) includes text from Psalm 102.
Rare Book collection leaf from "Missal leaf (Beauvais, France, 1285)" has been identified as leaf 112 of the "Beauvais Missal," and first leaf of a new quire. It is an early component of the Sanctorale or Proper of the Saints, specifically for the Feast Day of Sts. Philip and James.
Rare Book collection leaf from "Vulgate Bible (Cambridge, England, 1210)," appears to encompass the last chapter of 1st Maccabees and the first chapter of 2nd Maccabees. The prominent gold initial appears to be the initial F in the first line of 2nd Maccabees, "Fratribut quisune per Egyptum Judeis."
Rare Book collection leaf from "Book of hours (School of Paris, 1440)" features a full-page miniature of the Crucifixion of Christ, flanked by the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdelene, with the text, "Domine labia mea apies et os meam annunciabit," continuing with "laudam tuam" on the verso. These are the opening lines to the Office of Our Blessed Lady at Matins.
Rare Book collection leaf from "Psalms.[sic] (France, ca. 1300)" appears to encompass the closing verses of Isaiah 16 through the beginning verses of Isaiah 21.
Title from portfolio cover
Although the intermediate provenance was unclear, the roster of leaves and the matting style are entirely consistent with Otto F. Ege's Fifty original leaves from medieval manuscripts. The portfolio is simpler than the later "Famous books" sets put out by Duschnes in 1949, and may have been fabricated post-acquisition. Unlike the formally issued sets, this set lacks the index page and letterpress annotations. Subsequently, by virtue of Gwara's scholarship, this portfolio is identified as consisting of individually purchased leaves, most of which ultimately would also figure in the posthumously issued "Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts" portfolio
