Patronage and Heraldry in the Tickhill Psalter (New York, NYPL, MS Spencer 26)

Abstract

The original patron or owner of a medieval manuscript may be possible to identify only in the most general way, if at all. The inclusion of certain saints in the calendar or litany of a devotional book may suggest that it was destined for a particular region or religious order; a painting of a kneeling figure may delineate the social station and gender of its owner. More specific information about original or subsequent owners is sometimes provided by colophons, calendar additions, or other inscriptions. Heraldic emblems in borders, line endings, or backgrounds are often taken to indicate family or corporate affiliations, sometimes pointing to a specific owner. For example, the tiny