It has not been possible to ascertain to which liturgical occasions the two antiphons and the readings found in this fragment were originally assigned. The two antiphons for the Benedictus and the Magnificat are also found in the office for the 'Dom. 6 p. Pent.' in the early 16th-century Temporal Antiphoner 'Braga, Arquivo da Sé, Ms. 32' (see fol. 301r). This manuscript is representative of the Aquitaine liturgical tradition (Braga use) but it does not contain readings. The readings in the fragment have been compared with the Breviary from Braga without music 'Breviarium Braccarense' printed by João Gherlinc for Pedro de Barzena in 1492. The full color reproduction of the Braga Breviary can be downloaded at http://purl.pt/22000.
Unfortunately the 'Breviarium Braccarense' contains only the first 6 readings for 'Dom. 6 p. Pent.' (see fol. 157v) while the fragment contains the 7th, 8th and 9th readings for an indeterminate liturgical feast. The reading 'per hebdomada' found on fol. Av in the fragment can be read in the 'Breviarium Braccarense' on fol. 158v.
Medium size neumes around a red line. Rhomboidal punctum absent. The axis of the notation is slightly slanted, the puncta have the lateral borders tilted to the right (they look more like paralellograms, rather than squares).
Inscriptions
Later-hand inscriptions at the top-left corner of fol. Ar. 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' are written by a modern hand respectively at the top left corner of fols. Arv, Brv. A later hand inscription now almost completely vanished can be read along the internal left border of fol. Br. Two more inscriptions were added by different hands on the right edge of fol. Br.
This non-central bifolium is not in great condition. It was used as book cover for long time but it has now been detached. Fols. Av-Br were the external cover, hence they are now in poorer condition; the ink is vanished in many points and there are spots of humidity and traces of dirtiness. The folds and holes along fol. Br allow us to recognize which section of the parchment originally covered the spine of the book to which the fragment was attached. The top and bottom edges of the bifolium remained folded for long time (see the long horizontal folds).
