An antiphonal (also called an antiphonary or antiphoner) is a large, antique liturgical choir book containing the musical chants for the canonical hours of the Roman Catholic Divine Office (such as Vespers, Lauds, and Matins). 

When referred to as an "antique," it usually means a hand-written or early printed manuscript dating from the medieval period through the Renaissance or early 17th/18th centuries.

Features of an Antique Antiphonal

• Massive Size: These books were physically huge—often measuring two to three feet tall—so that an entire church choir could read the large Gothic or square musical notation and Latin text together from a distance while standing around a central lectern.
• Handmade Materials: Genuine antique antiphonals were crafted on vellum or parchment (processed calfskin or sheepskin) with hand-ruled red and black staves, hand-calligraphed text, and black square-note musical neumes.
• Illuminated Artistry: Many antique antiphonals feature stunning, hand-painted illuminated initials (large, ornate letters often containing miniature portraits of saints, biblical scenes, or intricate gold-leaf and floral borders) created by monastery scribes and specialized artists.
• Scattered Leaves: Because complete, intact antique antiphonals are rare and museum-valuable, individual pages (called leaves or bifoliums) are frequently excised and sold separately as framed antique art.