PARIS WORKSHOP
Leaf from an illuminated manuscript of Civil Law, with miniature of a witness cross-examined in court, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [France, probably Paris, c. 1300]

Illuminated single leaves of legal manuscripts are uncommon on the market.

c. 300 × 205 mm. Single cropped leaf, ruled in brown ink for two columns of variable line count (40 lines survive on recto, 25 on verso), text written in a well-spaced, rounded Gothic book hand, surrounded by gloss in a similar but slightly smaller script, with additional glosses added to the margins. Rubrics in red, two-line initials for paragraph marks alternate in red and blue, five-line initials in red begin textual units, one decorated initial ‘D’ of five lines, in blue on a rose ground with vegetal infill, marks the chapter incipit, ONE ILLUMINATED MINIATURE, occupying seven lines, depicting a juridical scene on a gold ground, set within a stylized frame of red, blue, and rose with burnished gold corners, and surrounded by marginal flourishes extending vertically and into the gutter, with terminals incorporating gold bezants and vegetal motifs. Recovered from use as a pastedown, staining caused by the turn-ins of a tanned leather binding, parchment torn at the upper left margin and trimmed with the loss of approximately five lines at the top, else in fair condition.

Recovered from binding material, this leaf illustrates the opening of Book XXVIII of the Corpus Iuris Civilis (Digest), specifically De testamentis et qui testamenta facere possunt (“On wills and those who can make them”), a foundational section of Justinian’s legal code. The miniature depicts a woman appealing to a seated judge, crowned as an emperor, who gestures toward his open left palm—symbolizing legal judgment or claim. Behind him stands a soldier bearing a lance and a shield adorned with a demonic face, while two clerics and the kneeling woman appear before the bench, dramatizing the legal plea. The scene likely represents a widow appealing for her inheritance rights, a central concern in Book XXVIII, which governs the making, revocation, and execution of wills, disinheritance, and succession.

Compiled in the sixth century under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, the Corpus Iuris Civilis formed the backbone of Roman law and remained influential throughout the medieval and modern periods. In the twelfth century, especially in France and northern Italy, the text experienced a major revival within the emerging university culture, particularly at Bologna and later in Paris. Its systematic treatment of civil law became the foundation for canon law, secular jurisprudence, and the development of the European legal tradition. This leaf, with its refined script, extensive gloss, and narrative miniature, reflects both the textual authority and visual pedagogy of law books used in academic and judicial settings during the high Middle Ages.

Provenance
(1) Unidentified French owner; inscribed in pencil “Inv. 1010” (recto, lower left corner).

(2) Sold anonymously at Sotheby’s London, 23 June 1999, lot 24.

(3) Robert McCarthy, London, MS BM 1231.

Sister leaves
Presently unknown.

LITERATURE
Sotheby's, London, Western Manuscripts and Miniatures, 23 June 1999, lot 24; Peter Kidd, The McCarthy Collection, Vol. 3, French Miniatures, London, 2021, no. 64.

We are grateful to Peter Kidd for permission to quote from his catalogue in this entry, and we thank Senior Consultant Sandra Hindman and Peter Bovenmyer for their assistance in the preparation of this sale.

The Collection of Robert McCarthy

This lot is located in Chicago.

Christopher Brink

Associate Vice President, Head of Sale, Senior Specialist, Books & Manuscripts

[email protected]312.334.4217

Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

[email protected]267.414.1247

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Sandra Hindman

Senior Consultant, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Illumination

[email protected]312 280 1212

Sandra Hindman, Senior Consultant, is a leading expert in Medieval and Renaissance manuscript illumination. Professor Emerita of Art History at Northwestern University, Professor Hindman is author, coauthor or editor of more than twelve books, as well as numerous articles on the history and reception of illuminated manuscripts and on medieval rings. She is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, the National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America, the Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne, and the Syndicat National des Antiquaires,The Grolier Club and the Caston Club. In 2023, the French Republic named Sandra Hindman a Chevaliere de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters). She is the owner and CEO of Les Enluminures Paris Chicago and New York founded in 1991.

Western Manuscripts and Miniatures

PARIS WORKSHOPLeaf from an illuminated manuscript of Civil Law, with miniature of a witness cross-examined in court, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [France, probably Paris, c. 1300]

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PARIS WORKSHOP
Leaf from an illuminated manuscript of Civil Law, with miniature of a witness cross-examined in court, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [France, probably Paris, c. 1300]