{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O125624"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125624/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BG0306/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BG0306/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BG0306","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG5562","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JX3536","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB4682","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O125624/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O125624","accessionNumber":"8982","objectType":"Manuscript cutting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This double-sided manuscript leaf depicts scenes from the first book of the Bible: Genesis.  One side shows scenes from the story of Cain and Abel.  The other shows King Melchisedek blessing Abraham and Abraham’s nephew Lot being captured.\r\n\r\nIt was a medieval custom to interpret the Old Testament as a prefiguration of the New.  Each major New Testament subject was seen as having several forerunners or ‘types’ in the Old Testament.  Cain murdering Abel was often interpreted as a forerunner of Christ’s betrayal by Judas, while Melchisedek giving Abraham bread and wine was widely accepted as prefiguring the Eucharist.\r\n\r\nThis particular manuscript leaf may have come from a Bible or Psalter (book of Psalms), or an artist’s Model Book.  Another fragment thought to be from the same manuscript is located in Liège University (Wittert Coll.) and a group of similar leaves is found in Berlin (Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Kupferstichkabinet, inv. No. 78 A 6). \r\n\r\nThe leaf was purchased by the V&A in 1883 for £2.","physicalDescription":"One side shows Cain and Abel offering up sacrifices to God at the top of the page and Cain killing Abel at the bottom.  The other side shows Melchisedek blessing Abraham at the top of the page and the capture of Lot at the bottom.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"gold leaf","id":"x33207"},{"text":"vellum","id":"AAT11852"},{"text":"binder","id":"AAT14720"},{"text":"parchment","id":"AAT11851"},{"text":"pigments","id":"x33204"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"illumination","id":"AAT220539"},{"text":"writing","id":"AAT54698"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"watercolour, with egg or gum binding medium and gold leaf on vellum","categories":[{"text":"Books","id":"THES48986"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Manuscripts","id":"THES48922"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Manuscript cutting","id":"THES275182"},{"text":"Medieval and renaissance","id":"THES271264"}],"styles":[{"text":"Medieval","id":"AAT20756"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006BG0306","2006BG5562","2017JX3536","2017KB4682"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"8","id":"THES49714"},"free":"","case":"CA5","shelf":"DR1","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"manuscript","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Liège (province)","id":"x29875"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1160","earliest":"1155-01-01","latest":"1164-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"22.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"at highest","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"at widest","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Part of cuttings purchased in batches from William Henry James Weale in 1883, 95 on 9 April 1883, 258 on 17 April 1883, 20 on 20 February, for the total sum of £96.7.2 (now Museum nos 8972-9042).","historicalContext":"Many twelfth century Psalters and Bibles included an introductory cycle of miniatures.  These often incorporated scenes from the Book of Genesis. It was a medieval custom to interpret the Old Testament as a prefiguration of the New.  Each major New Testament subject was seen as having several forerunners or ‘types’ in the Old Testament - Cain and Abel sacrificing was seen as symbolising the Synagogue and the Church; Cain murdering Abel was seen as a forerunner of Christ’s betrayal by Judas; and Melchisedek giving Abraham bread and wine was widely accepted as prefiguring the Eucharist.\r\n\r\nData taken from notes compiled by Rowan Watson. The full text of the entry is as follows:\r\n\r\nCat. no. 137\r\n8982 (MS 413)\r\nBIBLE?\r\nLeaf with a full-page miniature on each side: Sacrifice of Cain and Abel, and the killing of Abel; Melchisedek blessing Abraham and the capture of Lot. Possibly from a model-book\r\n\r\nNL (Liège). c. 1160\r\n230 x 160 mm.\r\nPub: 1923 cat, 35 (given as German c. 1200) ; ` Medieval Treasury' (1986), pp 142-3 col. pl. 11'","briefDescription":"Double-sided folio from a Bible, Psalter or model-book depicting Cain and Abel on one side and Melchisedek blessing Abraham and the capture of Lot on the other; ca.1160; Southern Netherlands (possibly Liège); watercolour and gold leaf on vellum.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Williamson, Paul (ed.), <u>The Medieval Treasury: the art of the Middle Ages in the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1986","id":"AUTH334016"},"details":"pp.142-143, fig.11","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Scheller, Robert W. Exemplum - Model-Book Drawings and the Practice of Artistic Transmission in the Middle Ages (ca. 900 - ca. 1450). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 1995.","id":"AUTH411883"},"details":"pp.123-131","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Cain","id":"N554"},{"text":"Abel","id":"N553"},{"text":"Melchisedek","id":"N5213"},{"text":"Abraham","id":"N556"},{"text":"Lot","id":"N622"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Holy Bible, Genesis, chapter 4, verses 1-9 (Cain and Abel)","Holy Bible, Genesis, chapter 14, verse 12 (capture of Lot)","Holy Bible, Genesis, chapter 14, verses 18-20 (Melchisedek and Abraham)"],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"LEAF FROM A BIBLE, PSALTER OR MODEL BOOK\r\nAbout 1160\r\n\r\nAdam and Eve had two sons: Abel, who\r\nkept sheep, and Cain, who grew crops. Cain\r\nfamously murdered his brother in a fit of\r\njealously. The story, illustrated here, was\r\nthought to prefigure the New Testament\r\ncombat between the new church (in the\r\nperson of Christ) and the old religion\r\n(represented by the Synagogue).\r\n\r\nSouthern Netherlands,\r\npossibly Liège region\r\nWatercolour on parchment\r\nMuseum no. 8982","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["8982"],"accessionNumberNum":"8982","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Previous number","id":"THES51695"},"number":"MS 413"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN8174","2019LP4618","2019LU2872"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-28","recordCreationDate":"2006-07-03","availableToBook":false}}