[The Transitus Mariæ. The Account of St. John the Theologian of the Falling Asleep of the Holy Mother of God] The Passing of Mary

F.M. GREEN (calligrapher) & H.D. WEBB (illuminator).

[The Transitus Mariæ. The Account of St. John the Theologian of the Falling Asleep of the Holy Mother of God] The Passing of Mary. [United Kingdom: the colophon notes that this work was finished on the 8th September 1921].

12mo (6 x 4 ½in; 152 x 114mm), On vellum, manuscript throughout on 25 leaves (including front and rear blanks): full-page illuminated title in colors and gold, 42 pages of text in black ink with occasional words in red for emphasis, and colored line-fillers, in addition there are 20 historiated illuminated initials in colors with gold, plus 1 full-page-height representation in color of the badges of the 12 apostles, at the end the 4-line colophon is in red. Contemporary brown morocco, ruled in blind, the upper cover with an emblematic representation in gilt of the title.

Provenance: M. Lee (pencilled inscription at the front ‘ M. Lee / from the writer & / illuminator’); purchased at auction in Sussex, England.

The full text of the apocryphal ‘Transitus Mariae’ – beautifully presented (using only the best materials). by F.M. Green, H.D. Webb, and the anonymous binder.

The story of the ‘Passing’ of Mary from this realm to the next. Given the Catholic nature of the text and where it was purchased (in Sussex), there may be some connection between Green & Webb and artistic community at Ditchling. Eric Gill and David Jones were probably the two most famous residents of Ditchling, both of whom were artists, calligraphers and letter-cutters.