The Vienna Bohun Psalter (ÖNB Cod. 1826)

Moses speaking to the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea, f. 85v.

Colloquial name(s): The Vienna Bohun Psalter

Official name(s): Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 1826

Date: 1370 (source), c. 1350 - c. 1353 (source)

Origin: S. England (source)

Online facsimile available via: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (missing its pagination - although the folio numbers are written on the top right corner of each recto page).

The Vienna Bohun Psalter is one of a number of manuscripts owned by the Bohun family. At least some of these manuscripts have exceedingly similar illustrations styles and thus the illustrations are very easy to mistake for each other when appearing online with incomplete or missing references.

The complete list of Bohun manuscripts include (source):

• this Psalter (Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Cod. 1826; c. 1350-c. 1353)
• a fragmentary Book of House (in a private collection; c. 1345-50)
• another Psalter (Oxford, Exeter College MS. 47; c. 1360-c. 1390)
• a third Psalter (Cambridge, Fitzwilliam College MS. 38-1950; c. 1380-c. 1394)
• a Psalter and Hours of the Virgin (BL MS. Egerton 3227; after 1361-1380s)
• another Psalter and Hours of the Virgin (Bodleian Library MS. Auct. D. 4. 4; c. 1380-94)
• Lancelot du Lac (BL MS. Royal 20 D IV; c. 1300, miniatures repainted c. 1360-1380)
• a Psalter and Short Office of the Cross (Baden-Baden, Lichtenthal Abbey Archive MS. 2; c. 1380-1394)
• Legends of the Virgin Mary, St. Margaret and St. Mary Magdalene (Copenhagen, Kon. Bib. MS. Thott 517.4o; c. 1380-1394)
• Hours of the Virgin (Copenhagen, Kon. Bibl. MS. Thott 547.5o; c. 1380-1394)
• a Memoriae and Cospel Sequences from a Book of Hourse (Pommersfelden, Fräflich Schönbornische Bibliotek MS. 348; c. 1380-1394)
• Hours of the Virgin and Psalter made for Eleanor de Bohun (Edinburgh, N. Lib. MS Adv. 18.6.5; c. 1387-1397)

The illuminations in the Vienna Bohun Psalter are exquisite, exceedingly high-quality images replete with gold and numerous colours. They principally consist of historiated initials and comprise military and civilian (upper-class) scenes.

A list of the folios containing illustrations will be added here in due course.