Reconstructing a Swabian Missal: Jacob’s Dream and Its Sister Leaves
In 2023, I acquired a striking illuminated miniature depicting Jacob’s Dream, painted within a large historiated initial “T” and framed by intricate borders adorned with birds and foliage. The quality of the painting, the heraldic shield in the margin, and the accompanying liturgical text—Terribilis est locus iste (Genesis 28:17), the Introit for the Mass for the Dedication of a Church—left no doubt in my mind that this leaf originated from a high-end liturgical manuscript produced in southern Germany, most likely in Augsburg, circa 1450–1475.
At the time of acquisition, the leaf came with little documentation. But through visual comparison, heraldic research, and the generous help of colleagues, I was able to trace its origin and identify three sister leaves from the same manuscript.
1.
USA (Keegan Goepfert, LLC, MIN 1023) – Jacob’s Dream
Known Sister Leaves: Four of Eight Identified
Following the acquisition of the Jacob’s Dream leaf, I began investigating other potential fragments from the same parent manuscript. The first breakthrough came via the Rosenbach collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which holds a miniature of the Resurrection of Christ, an initial “V” that matches my leaf in both stylistic features and heraldic decoration.
Soon after, I corresponded with Peter Kidd, who kindly directed me to a third sister leaf at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (MS 638). This leaf features an initial “T” containing the allegorical figures of Ecclesia and Synagoga. Catalogued by Christopher de Hamel, the miniature was identified as Swabian and includes the same heraldic shield. It had previously passed through a private Austrian collection, was sold at Sotheby’s in 1995 (lot 20), later acquired by Quaritch, and was eventually gifted to the College by Dr. Robert Lefever in 2007.
The fourth identified sister leaf is now in the Keio University Library, Tokyo (MS 170X＠9＠20). It depicts a standing angel holding a heraldic shield, a subject explicitly mentioned in the historical description of the manuscript.
Thus far, the following miniatures have been securely traced:
USA (Keegan Goepfert, LLC, MIN 1023) – Jacob’s Dream
Philadelphia (Free Library, Lewis E M 1:24) – Resurrection of Christ
Cambridge (Corpus Christi College, MS 638) – Ecclesia and Synagoga
Tokyo (Keio University Library, MS 170X＠9＠20) – Standing Angel with Coat of Arms
2.
Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E M 1:24 (Philadelphia, USA) – Initial “V” for the Feast of the Ascension
3.
Corpus Christi College, Parker Library, MS 638 (Cambridge, UK) – Initial “T” marking the opening of the Canon of the Mass.
4.
Keio University Library, Western Medieval Manuscript Collection, 170X＠9＠20 (Tokyo, Japan) – Initial “V” for the Easter Sequence
The Parent Manuscript: Documented but Lost
The clearest documentation of the parent volume appears in C.G. Boerner’s Leipzig auction, 23–24 November 1913 (lot 483). The manuscript was described as a complete Missal, in Latin, on parchment, of German origin, dating from the end of the 15th century. It consisted of 340 leaves, bound in a 17th-century leather binding, with text in large Gothic script in two columns of 22 lines each, in black and red.
Of particular interest is the mention of eight historiated initials, measuring approximately 6 × 7 to 9 × 10 cm, painted in a style attributed to the Upper German (Swabian?) school. The scenes included:
• Resurrection of Christ
• Descent of the Holy Spirit
• Ecclesia and Synagoga (with the Brazen Serpent)
• Saint John the Baptist
• Visitation
• Assumption (or Coronation) of the Virgin
• Jacob’s Dream
• Standing Angel bearing a heraldic shield
The manuscript’s decoration was described as elaborate, with floral and foliate borders, birds, and—crucially—a recurring heraldic device: a golden ram with a bishop’s staff on a blue field. This coat of arms appeared repeatedly in the initials and margins, offering a vital link to the patron.
That heraldic shield has been observed in all four identified leaves. However, in the known representations, the bishop’s staff is notably absent, which it is mentioned only being on the opening folio of the manuscript. Whether this discrepancy is the result of a cataloging error in 1913, a visual shorthand, or a modification in the workshop for reasons relating to patronage remains open to interpretation. It may also reflect a variation linked to the function of the miniature or the role of the donor.
It was Christopher de Hamel who first attributed the arms to the von Magenbuch family, a noble lineage from Swabia. It remains the most convincing identification based on heraldic comparisons and regional manuscript production.
5.
Auction 121: Bibliothek Edwin Oppler Hanover, Versteigerung zu Leipzig bei C.G. Boerner, 24. und 25. November 1913
6. Lot 438 Missale, which the last sentence translates, “The miniatures are very fine for the period and of particular value for Germany, as they can likely be localized through identification of the coat of arms.”
What Happened to the Codex?
At some point after the 1913 auction, the Missal was dismembered and sold off in fragments. While it is unclear exactly when or why this occurred, the practice of cutting manuscripts—particularly richly illuminated Missals—was not uncommon in the 20th century. That the parent volume has vanished entirely from the market and is now untraceable suggests the possibility of environmental damage or a war-time loss, though this remains speculative.
The four remaining historiated initials—Descent of the Holy Spirit, Saint John the Baptist, Visitation, and the Assumption of the Virgin—are still unaccounted for. They may reside in private collections, institutional holdings, or remain unidentified in the art market.
7. Tafel XI, illustration of the Cambridge fragment in the C.G. Boerner auction catalog 121 in 1913
Why It Matters
The Jacob’s Dream miniature is not only visually compelling, it is part of a rare and unusually well-documented Gothic Missal. The survival of half of the known historiated initials, now dispersed across three continents, offers a remarkable opportunity to reconstruct part of a luxury liturgical commission linked to noble Swabian patronage. The repeated presence of the von Magenbuch arms anchors the manuscript in a specific historical and regional context.
By sharing this research publicly, I hope to bring additional leaves to light and contribute to a fuller understanding of this exceptional manuscript. The Jacob’s Dream leaf remains in my collection and is available for acquisition.
I am deeply grateful for the kindness and generous help of Peter Kidd, Stephen Mossman, Benjamin Pope, Jeffrey Hamburger and Christopher de Hamel.
