Manuscript on parchment of 1) Curtius Rufus, Historia Alexandri Magni, translated into Italian and supplemented with material from Plutarch by Pier Candido Decembrio. 2) Pier Candido Decembrio, Comparazione di Cesare e d'Alessandro Magno
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by a single scribe in a slightly rounded humanistic bookhand with many cursive elements, below top line., One illuminated intial, 6-line, gold against blue, green and pink ground with white vine-stem ornament, extending into inner margin to form a partial border; terminating at top and bottom in pen inkspray with buds in green and pink and gold balls with hair-line extensions. Plain initials, 3- to 2-line, in blue, mark text divisions; headings in pale red., and Binding: 15th-16th centuries, Italy. Sewn on four tawed skin, slit straps laid in channels on the outside of wooden boards and pegged. Gilt edges. Covered in brown goatskin with corner tongues, and blind-tooled with a ropework star inside painted (red) and blind-tooled circles inside a floral border, all with metallic annular dots. There are traces of four leaf-shaped fastenings, the catches on the lower board, the upper one cut in for fabric straps attached with star-headed nails. Rebacked twice.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Alexander, the Great, 356-323 B.C., Caesar, Julius., Decembrio, Pier Candido, 1399-1477., Plutarch., and Rufus, Curtius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (unidentified watermarks in gutter) of a hunting diary of Ferdinando de' Medici (1549-1609), Cardinal, and Grand Duke of Tuscany; this portion of the manuscript covers the period 15 October 1579 to 21 March 1585
Description:
In Italian., Written in a sprawling cursive script., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Dark green, hard-grained goatskin, gold-tooled, by the same binder as MS 90. Front cover of original limp vellum binding bound in at front of manuscript, with contemporary inscription: "Libro della Caccia che si fe (?)/ Illustrissimo et Reverendissimo Signor Cardinale d'/ Medici mio Signore e padrone".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Tuscany (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Ferdinando I, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 1549-1609.
Subject (Topic):
Hunting, Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Social life and customs