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Manchester. The John Rylands Library, Hebrew MS 31

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Source
Manchester Digital Collections
Library
The John Rylands Library
Shelfmark
  • Hebrew MS 31
Biblissima authority file
Language
  • Hebrew
Title
    • Sefer Mitsvot Qatan (ספר מצוות קטן | Small Books of Commandments | עמודי הגולה | 'Ammude ha-golah | Pillars of the Exile)
    • Haggahot al Sefer Mitsvot Qatan (הגהות על ספר מצוות קטן | Glosses on the Small Books of Commandments)
    • טופסי שטרות (Documents' templates)
    • Sha'arei Dura (שערי דורא | The Gates of Düren)
    • see more
Agent
Description
  • Extent:
    119 ff. (ii+119+ii) Leaf height: 242 mm, width: 173 mm. Written height: 155 mm, width: 111 mm.
    Binding:

    Brown leather binding, with gold-tooled floral border design on front and back boards; gold-tooled flowers and "ספר [...]" on spine; coloured fore, top and bottom edges to produced a marbled effect. Sewn on six raised cords.


    Decoration:

    The decoration was executed by three different hands:

    Hand A: Six full-page frontispieces at the main divisions (folios 1a, 7b, 32a, 52b, 87b, 109a.
    Hand A: All initial words that are rubricated and surrounded by violet pen-drawn filigree panels.
    Hand A: Pen-drawn scrolls issuing from the filigree; panels are prolongated in the margins, ending in anthropomorphic hybrids and marginal illustrations of animal fables.
    Hand B: The painted frontispiece on folio 77b.
    Hand B: The filigree ornaments and marginal figures on folios 71a-79a and 112b.
    Hand C: A later (German Ashkenazi) hand has added some colors to a few extant marginal pen-drawings and the text illustrations on folio 105a.
    Folio 1a: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-words לידע on a blue painted panel with white branches and white and yellow flowers growing from a gilded vase. A monkey sits on the left and a hare on the right. The panel is divided by four gilded pillars; from each pillar grows a tree. Above the pillar are gothic style arches; the middle arch has a green leaf. The text of the page is surrounded by a decorative frame. The frame has painted pink, blue, green and gilded compartments. Out of the frame grows a branch with leaves (left centre, left corner and bottom centre), acorns (right corner) and a branch with leaves and a bird sitting on it (right centre). In the left margin stands a male figure. On the bottom of the frame sit a dragon spitting fire and a dog with one paw lifted. The text space has three initial-words decorated with penwork.
    Folio 1b: One initial-word in green with blue penwork. The penwork shows three figures: two animal heads (top and right bottom) and a male bearded head (bottom left).
    Folio 2a: Four initial-words in red decorate with violet penwork. Four dragon heads in violet penwork and one female figure with a headdress.
    Folio 2b: At the bottom of the page a dog hunting a hare, executed in violet penwork.
    Folio 3a: Top and bottom of page: large fish in violet penwork and several leaf-motifs. Three initial-words in red with a panel of violet penwork.
    Folio 3b: Hunter shooting an arrow to a squirrel, in violet penwork.
    Folio 4a: Dog hunting a hare, in violet penwork.
    Folio 4b: A dragon in violet penwork, his tail ending in a branch with a leaf.
    Folio 5a: Grotesque figures in violet penwork: two male faces, one wearing a medieval hat. A face in profile and a dressed animal. Initial-word in red with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 5b: Grotesque figures in violet penwork: head of woman wearing a headdress, four human faces, bird, two dragon heads. Six initial-words in red with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 6a: Three grotesque dragon heads in violet penwork. Four initial-words in red with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 6b: Several animal figures in violet penwork: fox and dragon (bottom), a hare (right), human face (top). Eight initial-words in red with violet penwork decoration. Four of the penwork initial-word panels are decorated with a human face in profile.
    Folio 7a: Grotesques in violet penwork: woman with a headdress (bottom), two dragon heads (top). One initial-word in red with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 7b: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-words לאבד ע''ז on a painted panel consisting of four compartments: two blue squares with white lozenges, two pink squares with white squares. The panel has a gilded frame with gilded studs on top. The text of the page is surrounded by a frame consisting of several compartments with alternating colours: gilded, pink and blue. Painted decorations on the frame: dragon (top left), floral motifs (centre left), dog (bottom left), bird on branch (bottom centre), hare (bottom right), bird on branch (centre of right margin), dragon (top). The text has several initial-words in red with violet penwork decoration; one human face.
    Folio 8a: Three human faces in violet penwork: woman with headdress (bottom), two men with medieval hats (top). On the internal margin hare on a hill with foliage. Four initial-words in red with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 8b: Several grotesques in violet penwork: male head with foliage (bottom left), dressed animal (bottom right), head of woman with headdress (top right), dragon head (top left), two human faces in profile (centre). Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 9a: Several grotesques in violet penwork: head of woman with headdress (bottom left), bald male head (bottom right), dragon head (top right), fish (top left). Four red initial-word with decorated panels of violet penwork, two human faces in profile.
    Folio 9b: Grotesques in violet penwork: two lionesque figures (bottom), two dragon heads (top). Seven red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 10a: Figures and grotesques in violet penwork: male head with headdress and male bearded head (bottom), long fish (centre), two dragon heads and bird with flowers (top). Nine red initial-words decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 10b: Grotesques in violet penwork: bishop and animal head (bottom), long fish (centre right), goat and male bearded head (top). Eight red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 11a: Dog hunting a hare in violet penwork.
    Folio 11b: Bearded man and dragon (bottom); head of man wearing medieval hat in violet penwork. One red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 12a: Animal head (bottom); bird on leaf (right); dragon head (top) in violet penwork. Seven red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 12b: Two birds sitting on foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 13a: Dragon head (left); foliage (bottom) in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 13b: Three dragon heads; a fish; foliage in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration, one human face in profile.
    Folio 14a: Dog in violet penwork with word looking at hare with words.
    Folio 14b: Grotesque figure in violet penwork: birdlike creature with feathers and very long neck, wearing a medieval hat. Its tail ends in a grotesque face.
    Folio 15a: Fish, dragon head (bottom) and leaf (top) in violet penwork. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 15b: Lion in violet penwork.
    Folio 16a: Lion in violet penwork.
    Folio 16b: Animal grotesque, human face and foliage in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 17a: Dragon in violet penwork; his tail ends in a branch with leaves.
    Folio 17b: Human head with medieval hat (bottom); dragon head (top) in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 18a: Dragon in violet penwork; his tail ends in a branch with leaves.
    Folio 18b: Three dragon heads and a human face in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 19a: Three dragon heads in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 19b: Small dragon in violet penwork; his tail ends in a branch with leaves.
    Folio 20a: Two-headed dragon in violet penwork.
    Folio 20b: Peacock in violet penwork; it is very roughly coloured in with green paint.
    Folio 21a: Three dragon heads and a human face in violet penwork. Seven red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 21b: Two dragon heads, human winged face and fish with foliage in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 22a: Dragon head with foliage; male face with medieval hat; bearded male face in violet penwork. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 22b: Dragon in violet penwork.
    Folio 23a: Two birds sitting on foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 23b: Dog in violet penwork running; the hare he hunts is depicted on the opposite page.
    Folio 24a: Running hare in violet penwork; the dog he is hunted by is depicted on the opposite page.
    Folio 24b: Three-headed dragon in violet penwork with foliage.
    Folio 25b: A winged human face; a dragon head; a human face in profile in violet penwork. Three red initial-letters with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 26a: Hare hunt in violet penwork: hunter (far left) blows a horn, dog (centre) runs after the hare (right), tree.
    Folio 26b: Dragon head; foliage; head of a man wearing a medieval hat in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 27a: Two two-headed dragons with foliage in violet penwork; the tails with their extra heads are intertwined.
    Folio 27b: Several grotesques in violet penwork, clockwise from top left: woman head wearing headdress; male head; bird sitting on plant; dragon head. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 28a: Two grotesques in violet penwork: a male figure shooting an arrow (bottom); head of a woman wearing a headdress (top). Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 28b: Two dragon heads (bottom and top right); pointing male figure (bottom left) in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 29a: Reading female figure with headdress (bottom), possibly male figure with tallit; dragon head (top) in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 29b: Two dragon heads (bottom); centaur piercing a dragon head with a lance (top), human face in profile in violet penwork. Eight red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 30a: Male head wearing chaperon (bottom); bearded male head with long ears (top) in violet penwork. Four red-initial words with violet penwork decorations; several in profile faces can be seen as well.
    Folio 30b: Several grotesques in violet penwork: male head, mouse head and dog head (bottom); two dragon heads and an animal head (top). Eleven red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 31a: Several grotesques in violet penwork: two dragon heads (bottom and top left); long-beaked bird head (top right); three en profile male heads (right). Nine red initial-words decorated with violet penwork; several in profile faces can be seen as well.
    Folio 31b: Four dragon heads with foliage in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 32a: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-word לעשות on a painted panel consisting of four compartments: two pink squares; one with a dragon and one with small squares; two blue squares; one with a dragon and one with small squares. The panel has a gilded frame with gilded buds growing from its top. The painted frame at the left and bottom of the text consists of blue, pink and gilded compartments. Several painted figures are depicted. Left: a dragon, a bird, foliage. Bottom: a dog running, a man beating a drum. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 33a: Three violet penwork figures: bird on a branch (left); a small dragon biting its own body (bottom) and a bird with a nest and two baby birds (right).
    Folio 33b: Three dragon heads, one human face of violet penwork. Red initial-word decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 34a: Male head, dragon and male head wearing a chaperon in violet penwork. Red initial-word decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 34b: Dragon head; head of a woman wearing a headdress in violet penwork. Red initial-word decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 35a: Figure playing a bagpipe (bottom); fish (top) of violet penwork. Red initial-word decorated with violet penwork; huma face en profil.
    Folio 35b: Several grotesques in violet penwork. Bottom: dog head; male winged head; bird on a leaf. Top and right: three dragon heads. Five red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 36a: Four dragon heads; a hog head; a dog head in violet penwork. Six red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 36b: Two grotesque animal heads, one dragon head, one male head. Six red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several faces in profile.
    Folio 37a: Four human faces in violet penwork: two ladies wearing a headdress (bottom); two men, one wearing a medieval hat (top). Small animal head on the internal margin. Seven red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 37b: Two violet penwork figures: bird sitting on a branch (top); man killing a bird with a sling (bottom).
    Folio 38a: Bottom: woman with cap, armed figure with helmet; top: woman, bearded face in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 38b: Female centaur with headdress playing a cither, in violet penwork.
    Folio 39a: Female centaur with headdress in violet penwork.
    Folio 39b: Griffin with a male head wears a medieval hat, in violet penwork.
    Folio 40a: Male figure with two cups (bottom); male figure with headdress and food (?) in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 40b: Several figures in violet penwork: centaur beating a drum (bottom); bird with foliage (right and left); two figures fighting each other, the right figure has a falchion as weapon and the left figure a rapier (top).
    Folio 41a: A male figure with a cap and two birds with foliage, in violet penwork.
    Folio 41b: Two birds with foliage; two-headed dragon; male head with medieval hat in violet penwork.
    Folio 42a: Dragon; dressed animal; male head hearing a chaperon; foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 42b: Two headed dragon with human faces and foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 43a: Owl sitting in a tree; dog hunting a hare in violet penwork.
    Folio 43b: Owl sitting in a tree; dog digging out a hole; griffin with a male face wearing a medieval hat in violet penwork.
    Folio 44a: Three dragon heads, two wearing headdresses in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration
    Folio 44b: Two birds with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 45a: Two dragons connected by a human head in violet penwork.
    Folio 45b: Two dragon heads; one animal head in violet penwork. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 46a: Three dragon heads, two male figures (one bald and one bearded) in violet penwork. Four red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 46b: Head of a woman with headdress; bird in nest; animal head in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 47a: Two-headed dragon (bottom) and small dragon (top) in violet penwork.
    Folio 47b: Four dragon heads in violet penwork. One red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 48a: Animal with female face wearing a headdress (left); dragon (right); animal with foliage (top) in violet penwork.
    Folio 48b: Dragon with three heads in violet penwork; one head bites in the body.
    Folio 49a: Three dragon heads; one dog head in red penwork. Two black initial-words with red penwork decoration.
    Folio 49b: Long-beaked bird wearing a chaperon; dragon with a human face wearing a medieval hat in violet penwork. The figures are roughly coloured in with green paint.
    Folio 50a: Dragon in violet penwork, its body coloured green.
    Folio 50b: Two-headed dragon with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 51a: Two dog heads with a bone in their mouth; a hare eating foliage in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 51b: Two two-headed dragons with foliage, in violet penwork; the tails with their extra heads are intertwined.
    Folio 52a: A dog hunting a hare in violet penwork.
    Folio 52b: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-word לשחוט on a painted panel consisting of four compartments: two pink and two blue, all compartments with small white squares. It has a gilded frame. The painted frame surrounding the text consists of gilded, blue and pink compartments. Several painted figures are depicted: twice a dog with foliage (bottom and top); twice a hare (bottom and top) and a bird (right). Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 53b: Two dragon heads; long-beaked bird eating a fish; a dog head in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 54a: Three dragon heads, one wearing a female headdress, in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 54b: Dressed bird figure; goat head in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 55a: Two dragon heads in red penwork; human head in violet penwork. One red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; one black initial-word with red penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 55b: Two-headed dragon with foliage and a bird in violet penwork. The bird has a little bit of red color in its head.
    Folio 56a: Dragon; its tail ending in a bird head wearing a cap; foliage with a bird in violet penwork.
    Folio 56b: Head of woman with headdress and a bit of clothing; dragon head; head of woman with headdress of violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 57a: Hare and bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 57b: Three-headed dragon in violet penwork.
    Folio 58a: Lion with a dog in his mouth, in violet penwork.
    Folio 58b: Two human heads; dragon head; dog head in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 59a: Human figure playing a flute; dragon head in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; human face en profil.
    Folio 59b: Wolf with a sheep in his mouth, in violet penwork. The wolf and sheep are slightly colored in with black and grey.
    Folio 60a: Grotesque human figure blowing a trumpet; a hare head eating a leaf; several male heads in profilee in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 60b: Dog catching a hare in violet penwork.
    Folio 61a: Horse with a tree in violet penwork.
    Folio 61b: A fox blowing a trumpet in violet penwork; he is coloured orange.
    Folio 62a: Horse head; two animal heads in violet penwork. Red initial-word decorated with violet penwork; human face in profile.
    Folio 62b: Head of a woman wearing a headdress; female figure with headdress blowing a trumpet in violet penwork. Red initial-word decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 63a: Two female heads with a headdress; two grotesque male bearded faces in violet penwork. Four red initial-words decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 63b: Long beaked bird head; dragon head eating an animal (hare?); dragon head; dragon head eating a fish in violet penwork. Two red initial-words decorated with violet penwork; human face en profil.
    Folio 64a: Dog licking his genitals in violet penwork.
    Folio 64b: Lion catching a sheep in violet penwork. The lion has a red tongue.
    Folio 65a: Dog catching a chicken in violet penwork. Parts of the chicken are coloured red.
    Folio 66a: Two-headed dragon in violet penwork.
    Folio 66b: Animal playing a flute in violet penwork.
    Folio 67a: Winged male head; dragon head; woman with headdress and an animal body in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 67b: Three bearded male heads, one of them a grotesque; a bird; two women heads wearing a headdress in violet penwork. Five red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; human face en profil.
    Folio 68a: Two hares escaping to their lair in violet penwork.
    Folio 68b: Two-headed animal with two human heads in violet penwork.
    Folio 69a: A monkey with a coconut in violet penwork.
    Folio 69b: Two-headed dragon in violet penwork; one of the heads bites its own body. One of the heads is a male grotesque face.
    Folio 70a: Two-headed dragon in violet penwork; one head has the face of a hare.
    Folio 70b: Male figure in violet penwork; female head wearing a headdress with an animal body in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 71a: Red initial-word with red, blue and green penwork decoration: foliage, a running dog’s body with a hand where his head should be. A dragon head, a human face and foliage.
    Folio 72a: Two-headed dragon with two fighting heads in blue penwork. Human faces in red and blue penwork. Three initial-words with colored backgrounds.
    Folio 72b: Animal with short sword and buckler in red penwork; two goats sticking their tongue out in red penwork. Green initial-word on red panel decorated with blue, green and red penwork.
    Folio 73a: Six initial-words in different colours decorated with violet, green, red and yellow penwork. Bird biting a snake; dog sticking his tongue out; hooded animal; grotesque animal head.
    Folio 73b: Two initial-words in blue with a yellow and a green panel. Decorated with red, green, yellow and blue penwork. Yellow snake with dragon head; small dragon with fish head; hand holding a bird; winged male head.
    Folio 74a: Five initial-words in different colours decorated with green, red, yellow and purple penwork. Bird with another animal head; dragon biting its own leg; foliage; dragon eating a fish; hog.
    Folio 74b: Green initial-word in red panel decorated with red penwork. A bird head with two dragon bodies; dragon head eating an animal; man's face wearing a medieval hat.
    Folio 75a: Two initial-words in different colours decorated with violet penwork. Animal body with a tree growing from its neck; dog head and human face with medieval hat in the tree.
    Folio 77b: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-words לתת נבילה on a pink painted panel with green ranks and small red flowers. On the panel stand two painted birds. The text has two green painted bars on its sides and a blue bar at the bottom. The two green bars turn into fruit trees with gilded fruits at the top of the page. The blue bar is wrapped round with red and green painted branches. The following painted figures can be seen in the margins: a hare spying on a dog (left); a bird eating a plant and a monkey (right). In the text are four initial-words in the colours red, green, black, blue and violet decorated with green, blue and red penwork.
    Folio 78a: Mermaid with animal ears; male figure blowing a trumpet, small medallion with a bird in red penwork. Green initial-word with red penwork decoration.
    Folio 78b: Two fish; goat's head; sheep's head in violet penwork. Green initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 79a: A vase; a fish; four animal heads wearing caps in violet penwork. Blue initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 81a: Fish; a bird; grotesque head in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 81b: Kangaroo-like animal; its tail ending in an animal head with foliage; a human face on its belly; it has a winged human face made in violet penwork.
    Folio 82a: Two male heads wearing medieval hats; two animal heads in violet penwork. Five red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human faces in profile.
    Folio 82b: Human head and two animal heads in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 83a: Armed figure with falchion; bearded male head; dragon head; male figure with outstretched arm in violet penwork. Eight red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human faces in profile.
    Folio 83b: Dragon with three heads in violet penwork.
    Folio 84a: Male head with headdress and four legs; standing monkey in violet penwork.
    Folio 84b: Six red initial-words with violet penwork decoration. With three grotesque human heads and two dragon heads.
    Folio 85a: Ten red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human faces in profile.
    Folio 85b: Four-headed dragon; bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 86a: Dog getting ready to attack a hare; bird sitting in a tree in violet penwork.
    Folio 86b: Three animal heads in violet penwork. Four red initial-words with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 87a: Female figure with a dress and headdress holding a cookie (?); woman head with headdress in violet ink. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 87b: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-word לעשות on a panel consisting of four painted rectangles. Two are blue with small squares; two are pink with dragons. The painted frame surrounding the text consists of blue, gilded and pink compartments. The following painted figures are depicted: dog hunting a hare (bottom); hunter blowing a horn; bird (right); running dog (top). Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 88a: Four human faces (one female with headdress) in violet penwork. Two red initial-words decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 88b: Dragon head; male figure playing a cither; woman head with headdress in violet penwork. Two red initial-words decorated with violet penwork.
    Folio 89a: Bird head; two dressed male figures; bird with foliage; fully armed man with a falchion, buckler and hauberk in violet penwork. Two red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human faces in profile.
    Folio 89b: Two-headed beast with one female head and two birds with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 90a: Two female heads; animal head; bearded male head; bird; crowned animal head in violet penwork. Three red initial words and letters with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 90b: Hare blowing a flute; bird sitting in a tree in violet penwork.
    Folio 91a: Three-headed dragon and bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 91b: Animal head; female head; bird; male head with chaperon; fish in violet penwork. Seven initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human faces in profile.
    Folio 92a: Male head; female figure blowing a flute in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; human face en profil.
    Folio 92b: Grotesque animal (partly the body of a snake, partly the body of a dog) and a bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 93a: Dragon with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 93b: Dog biting in a hare; an owl sitting in a tree in violet penwork.
    Folio 94a: Two-headed dragon and a bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 94b: Grotesque male dressed figure with a tree in violet penwork.
    Folio 95a: Dog biting in a hare and a bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 95b: Dragon and bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 96a: Two-headed creature (snake neck, winged, human heads) with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 96b: Dog and a hare sitting opposite each other; three trees with in each tree a bird in violet penwork.
    Folio 97a: Small three-headed dragon.
    Folio 97b: Animal head biting in chicken; animal head holding a scroll in his mouth in violet penwork. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human heads in profile.
    Folio 98a: Small two-headed dragon in violet penwork; one of the heads bites its own body.
    Folio 98b: Two birds, one attacking the other; bird in a tree in violet penwork.
    Folio 99a: Grotesque human figure; bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 99b: Grotesque figure with a female and male head and an animal body; a bird and foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 100a: Hare blowing a flute in violet penwork.
    Folio 100b: Woman holding a cookie (?), looking at a male head at the top of the page, in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 101a: Two birds; male head; female head; head of a long-beaked bird; hog head wearing a headdress in violet penwork. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human faces in profile.
    Folio 101b: Male head; bird; female head in violet penwork. Three red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; human head en profil.
    Folio 102a: Dog with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 102b: Male head; female head; animal head; foliage in violet penwork. Fourteen red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human heads in profile.
    Folio 103a: Dog with open mouth and a bird’s head growing from its behind; a stork puts its beak in the dog’s open mouth (in violet penwork).
    Folio 103b: Dog with a rabbit in its mouth, in violet penwork.
    Folio 104a: Three animal heads holding an animal in their mouth; in violet penwork. Sixteen red initial-words with violet penwork decorations. Six words in black with red penwork decoration.
    Folio 105a: Text illustration: a woman sits in a tub, another woman gets immersed in ‘life-water’, as is expounded in the text. Illustration to laws on taking the mikvah (ritual bath). It is made of black penwork and is coloured in. Red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; several human heads in profile.
    Folio 107b: Red initial-words with violet penwork decoration; human face in profile.
    Folio 109a: Painted frontispiece. Gilded initial-word בשר on a painted panel that consists of a painted pink and a painted blue compartment, both with smaller panels in white paint. It has a gilded frame. The painted frame surrounding the text consists of blue, gilded and pink compartments. The following painted figures are depicted: two dragons, a bird and foliage. In the text a red initial-letter with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 109b: Bird with foliage in violet penwork. In the text a red initial-letter with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 110a: Two-headed dragon with foliage in violet penwork. In the text a red initial-letter with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 110b: Two headed dragon in violet penwork. One of the heads wears a medieval hat.
    Folio 111a: Two fish with foliage; a bird with foliage; dragon head in violet penwork. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 111b: Two dragon heads in violet penwork; one head wears a medieval hat. Red initial-word with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 112a: Hare; two birds with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 112b: Two dragon heads in red penwork. Two black initial-letters with red penwork decoration.
    Folio 113a: Hare; bird with foliage; dog with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 113b: Two-headed dragon with foliage; bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 114a: Fish with foliage; small dragon with foliage in violet penwork. Red initial-letter with violet penwork decoration.
    Folio 114b: Two-headed dragon with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 115a: Hare with foliage in violet penwork. Two dragon heads in red penwork. Black initial-letter with red penwork decoration.
    Folio 115b: Lion with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 116a: Two-headed dragon with foliage; bird with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 116b: Two dragon heads in red penwork. Black initial-letter with red penwork decoration.
    Folio 117a: Two-headed dragon in violet penwork.
    Folio 117b: Bird in tree; monkey in violet penwork; coloured cooking pot, referring to the laws of purity concerning pots used for cooking that are written on the page.
    Folio 118a: Bird in tree; man shooting an arrow in violet penwork.
    Folio 118b: Hare and two birds with foliage in violet penwork.
    Folio 119a: Dragon with foliage in violet penwork.


    Acquisition:
    Acquired by Enriqueta Rylands in 1901 from James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford of Haigh Hall and later bequeathed to the The John Rylands Library.
    Layout:

    Three columns with 40 written lines (except for folios 42b, 45b, 117b-119a). Ink ruling on folios 71-80; lead pencil ruling in the rest of the codex. Prickings visible on folios 71-79.


    Collation:

    8IV(64) + 1III(70) + 1V(80) + 3IV(104) + 1VII(118) + 1I(119). In most of the quaternions, quire signature at the bottom left corner of side b of the last folio of the quire.


    Script:
    Ashkenazi square script.Ashkenazi semi-cursive script on folio 108a.
    Data Source(s):
    Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, description of decorations by Gabrielle Sed-Rajna, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri, Renate Smithuis and Nienke Valk.
    Subject(s):
    Jewish law; Commandments (Judaism); Records (Documents)
    Abstract:

    This illuminated Ashkenazi manuscript was possibly produced in the Duchy of Brabant around 1346. The main text it contains is The Gates of Exile, also known as the Small Book of Commandments, of Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil, a thirteenth-century compendium of halakhah in which the legal material is enlivened by homilies, parables and stories. The glosses Isaac’s pupil, Perez ben Elijah, supplied for the work are recorded in the manuscript in a smaller script. Afterwards follows The Gates of Düren of Isaac ben Meir of Düren, dealing with the dietary laws (kashrut). A certain Berachiah ben Samuel copied the texts for Eliezer ben Yequtiel.


    Foliation:

    Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the top outer corner of side a of each folio.


    Format:
    Codex
    Material:
    Parchment.
    Provenance:
    Front paste-down: Pencil note: "W:4"
    Folio 66a: Ownership note reading in Hebrew: "ריקלה בת גביר[?] יי אני".
    Folio 119b: Ownership note reading in Hebrew: "שלומה בר יואל המכונה זלמן".
    Folio iiib: Handwritten note in pencil reading "Tarta on R. Dila / Tarta on R. Maza / Berachiah son of Samuel / Wednesday the 25th of Shebhaṭ 5106 / f. 42v."
    Folio ivb: Handwritten in pencil number 452 (also reapeted on back paste-down) and 218 ff.
    Back paste-down: Handwritten in pencil "522 / Hebrew MSS. / No. 31" and in ink "Cat. 522"; bookplate of the "Bibliotheca Lindesiana", with shelfmark "E / 11".


    Condition:

    Repairs on folio 109: parchment strip added in the bottom section of the page. Original repair stitching throughout the codex (see for example folio 97). Folio 119 burned external margin.


    Additions:
    Hebrew marginal notes including corrections in different hands on folios 3a, 6b-7a, 10a, 14b-15b, 17a, 19b-20a, 22a, 27a, 32a, 50b-51a, 53a, 54b, 55b, 56b-58a, 60a-b, 66a, 67b, 68b-69a, 70b-71a, 83a, 86a, 92b, 95a, 105b-106b, 109b, etc.; interlinear notes on folio 15b. A Latin marginal note at the top of folio 39a.
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