Jena, Germany, Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, MS 3
(Choirbook for Frederick the Wise)
Provenance:
1) Prepared for Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1486-1525), probably at All Saints Church in Wittenberg (heraldic arms, f. 15v; portrait with motto 'Tant que je puis', f. 30r; motto also on f. 2r; Josquin's Missa Hercules dux Ferrarie dedicated to 'Fridericus dux saxsonie', ff. 15v-28r). 2) When a later Elector, Johann Friedrich I, was deposed in 1547, he retired to Weimar, taking with him the court library. The collection was transferred to Jena in the following year to become the foundation of the library of the Hochschule (later Jena University).
Bindings:
1518-20,
Brussels, Belgium,
Mechelen, Belgium
brown
leather over
wood
, with clasps
Decoration: Blind-tooled lozenge design, metal corners, buckle and clasps
gilt edges
Endpapers: paper
Original binding, partially restored.
Notes:
One paper leaf with musical notation by Adam Rener (1485-1520) bound in after f. 94 and foliated as 94a. Correction on f. 68v (paper pasted over part of the stave and the underlay) by the same hand.