London, British Library, Royal 20 C VI

une part de lancelot (title added in the 15th c.)

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General information

Folios186
LanguageLanguage object (47)
Approx. datec. 1283 to 1300
Date notesBased on added entry in the 'Brut' chronicle (BL Catalogue of Illuminated MSS).
Place(s) of productionSouth England
Place suggested by the BL Catalogue of Illuminated MSS, tentatively adding 'Oxford'. The Lancelot-Graal project has London. Arthurian Fiction gives West-England.
First words of second recto folio[f. 3r] OR dit li cuntes que q(ua)nt /
First words of last recto folio
Incipit[f. 3ra] OR  dit l icuntes que q(ua)nt / agrauains li orguelle(us) / se fu p(ar)tiz de ses (com)pai(n)g / no(n)s . Si (com)uos auet oi . / Quil cheuaucha .ii. / iorz enties (et) plus sanz / auenture trouer . en / liure . Et toz les leus / ou il uenoit . fust en chastel . Ou en bois il de /
Explicit[f. 187v] de la t[ra]ysun ke il awe / yt fet a sun sengur . // (BL Catalogue of Illuminated MSS).

Material

Material:Material object (4)
Watermark:
Condition:

Structure

Collation:
Quire structure:
Quire marks:
Catchwords:Catchwords in the lower margin of the final folio of the quire.
Catchword disposition:

Physical description

No. of illustrations:2
General illustration:The single-column image at the beginning of the text portrays a mounted knight (Agravain), armed with a spear, a human head tied to his saddle, taking leave of a female figure in long, green dress. The miniature is painted against a red background, decorated with blue patterns. The image is framed in red and blue bars, decorated with white flourishings, the corners gilt. Two hybrids on the top of the border. The miniature (height: 17 lines) at the beginning of the 'Mort' (f. 150r) is painted against a blue background with white flourishing, and portrays a queen (Guinevere) about to be burnt. Again, two hybrid figures positioned on top of the frame. The miniatures have been attributed to the William of Devon (British Library Catalogue of Illuminated MSS).
General decoration:Large decorated initial (height: 8 lines) following the miniature on f. 1ra. The letter is painted red, against a blue ground, decorated with goldleaf. The eye of the letter is decorated with a dragon and a hybrid, in blue, brown, white and goldleaf. The first letter of clauses is highlighted with a dash of red ink. A similar initial (height: 9 lines) follows the image on f. 150r. The letter is painted blue, with white flourishings against blue and scarlet grounds. The eye of the letter is decorated with two dragons. Paragraphs are marked by pen-decorated initials (height: 2 lines), alternatingly red and blue, with flourishings in the other colour and j-borders in red and blue. Line-fillers in red and blue.
Evidence of readership:Added titles and explicit (15th c., ff. 3r, 186v). Pen-drawn images of a knight and one or two hybrids in the lower margins of ff. 4v and 11r. Above the hybrid on f. 11r, noted in an English hand '??L??oth botheird'.
Foliations description:Modern foliation in arabic numerals in the upper right corner of the recto.

Mise en page

Description 1
Page sampledf. 150r
LayoutMSLayout object (3)
Page dimensions380x255 (mm)
Justification245x175 (mm)
Columns2
11mm between columns
Column ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) )
Lines55
Line ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) )
RubricationNo tituli in red ink
Writing above top line?False
Sample page layout:

Hand(s)

Level of Execution:Execution object (4)
ScriptScript object (4)
Folio rangeFrom f. 1r to f. 187v
Datec. 1283 to 1300
Scribe description:Clear, rounded textualis, two-compartment 'a' with open upper compartment, straight and round 's' in final position, occasionally also trailing 's', the vertical stroke of 't' does not ascend above the headstroke, 3-like 'z'. Abbreviations include com- and -us abbreviation, crossed tironian note, nasal bar. Fusion of 'o' and round 'r'. 'st'-ligature. Punctus. The 'Mort' is written in a different, slightly more modern hand, with two-compartment 'a' with closed upper compartment and predominantly round 's' in final position.
Notes