Manuscript on parchment of Livy, Ab urbe condita libri I-X.
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in round humanistic script., On f. 1r: the initial F historiated with a view of Rome, full-page illuminated border in gold and colors into which are introduced the Trivulzio arms of Milan (paly of 6, or and vert) and a set of unidentified arms (gules, a cross saltire sable). Initials of books, 8-line, of painted gold on background of blue, green and red, and partial floral border., Initial on f. 2r damaged by crease., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Brown leather, gold-tooled, edges marbled and gilt, rebacked, with T. LIVII DECAS PRIMA on spine.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Livy.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of Publius Vergilius Maro (70-19 B.C.), Aeneis, with the Argumenta of Books 1-12 ascribed to Ovid. Including Summary of Aeneis ascribed to Basilius, one of the Twelve Wise Men; Ps.-Vergilius, prologue to Aeneis; Six verses in praise of Mapheus Vegius (Maffeo Vegio, 1406-1458); Mapheus Vegius (Maffeo Vegio, 1406/7-1458), Book 13 of Aeneis; and Ps.-Octavianus Augustus, Poem in praise of Virgil's Aeneis
Description:
In Latin., Script: Copied by a single scribe writing a careful but somewhat unusual Humanistica Textualis Formata, with lengthened descenders at the bottom line., Very pale red rubrics and running numbering of the Books (on rectos, in Roman numerals); blue paragraph-marks; blue plain initials (2-3 lines) for the Argumenta; white vinestem initials (6 lines) with marginal extensions; on f. 5r (Book 1) 10-line white vinestem initial and full white vinestem border augmented with groups of three gold balls in the outer and lower margins; in the lower section a damaged coat of arms in a wreath, identified as argent, a fess azure., The lower margins of ff. 149, 181 and 192 have been cut and were replaced; in the first case this was done before writing; the upper and lower corners of the leaves are cut; ff. 1-14 have been repaired by pasting pieces of parchment to the damaged edges or corners. There is a triangular incision in the lower part of the outer edges in the large central section of the codex., and Binding: 1904 by Katharine Adams for Sydney Cockerell. Green pigskin over pasteboard; spine with five raised bands and the gold-tooled inscriptions "VERGILI / AENEIS / MS." and "NORTH ITALIAN / 1450". White parchment endleaves. Gilt edges. The preceding binding was purple morocco by Zaehnsdorf.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Virgil.
Subject (Topic):
Epic poetry, Classical, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin poetry, Medieval and modern, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Bible in the usual order with some prologues. 2) Index of Hebrew names generally attributed to Stephen Langton. 3) Chapters 25-29 of the Testament of the 12 Patriarchs. Written for Cardinal Niccolo Albergati
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in rounded gothic bookhand., The Bible is a splendid example of the Italian late gothic illuminated manuscript. The decoration consists of two very richly illuminated pages (f. 5r, Genesis; f. 272r, Psalms), thirteen small miniatures (ff. 1r, 570v-576v), and 79 historiated initials, 7 to 10-line (not including ascenders or descenders) at the beginning of every book of the Bible, the sections of the Psalter, and a few prologues. The miniatures are in thin gold or yellow frames. The historiated initials are composed of acanthus, mauve, blue, pink, orange, and/or green. At least four artists collaborated in the illustration and decoration of the codex. On virtually every folio, recto and verso, are elaborate bar borders, in margins and/or between text columns, full or half-length, gold, blue, green, pink, and/or orange with white filigree, some with curling acanthus, leafy midpoints and terminals with acanthus and hair-spray extension. On folios with miniatures or initials, more elaborate borders (full borders on ff. 1r, 5r): curling hair-spray with gold dots and trefoil leaves, spikey ivy, pink, blue, orange and green flowers, putti, insects, birds, grotesques and, on f. 348v, a marginal scene, lower left corner, a fowler chasing rabbits., Ornamental initials (5 to 6-line) at the beginning of the prologues in red, blue, orange, and/or green, acanthus infilled red with white filigree against irregular gold grounds; gold against cusped pink and blue backgrounds with white filigree; some rinceaux initials in Franco-Flemish style, pink or blue with white highlights against cusped gold grounds. 2 and 1-line initials, gold on red and blue grounds with white filigree. Running titles in alternating red and blue letters or in gold against red and blue rectangular grounds with white filigree. Line fillers (ff. 617r-682r) in red, blue and/or gold. Chapter numbers in red or blue. Rubrics throughout., First two leaves slightly creased., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. A painted design under the gilt fore edge. Red velvet binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Langton, Stephen, -1228.
Subject (Topic):
Versions, Vulgate, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of 1) Tacitus, Annales XI-XVI. 2) Tacitus, Historiae I-V. Possibly written for Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria, King of Naples
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by two scribes; Scribe 1) ff. 1r-126r in a neat, slightly rounded gothic bookhand; Scribe 2) ff. 126v-218v, in a neat humanistic bookhand., Full border, f. 1r, attributed to Nicola Rapicano: white vine, infilled blue, red, and green, with white dots; framed and divided into panels by thin gold bands, the inner frame with a second band in two shades of purple, with white highlights. Outer and lower margins divided by band of fruit, in the outer margin, black with gold highlights, in the lower margin, red with green and gold highlights; divided into sections and at corners by English frets, infilled blue or green with white dots. In center of outer margin, a medallion after a classical coin or cameo, bust of a man in profile with a laurel wreath against a blue ground with fine white filigree; in center of lower margin, coat of arms of Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria, King of Naples (quarterly, first and fourth paly of 4 or and gules [Aragon], second and third argent, a cross potent sable [Calabria]), in a gold and purple quatrilobe frame, a gold diadem above, against a blue ground, as above, supported by four putti. Putti, birds (including a large peacock, center of inner margin), insects, and a bowl of fruit, symmetrically arranged in corners and around swags, often overlapping or passing behind decorative elements. Both inner and outer frame broken by text and marginalia, suggesting that the border is a later addition. Two lines of gold capitals open the text on f. 1r. On f. 136v, a 5-line white vine initial, gold, infilled red, green, and blue, against a blue ground, of inferior execution compared to f. 1r. Two 3-line initials, ff. 25v and 40v, gold or blue with purple or red penwork; each with guide-letters for illuminator., and Binding: Between 1890 and 1900, or 20th century. Dark brown goatskin, blind-tooled with rope work interspersed with copper colored dots in Italian style (15th century) by Leon Gruel (active under his own name between 1891 and 1923).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Alfonso II, King of Naples, 1448-1495. and Tacitus, Cornelius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin prose literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on paper (coarse, brown) of annals of Genoa
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks: unidentified bull's head buried in gutter., Script: Written by two scribes. Scribe 1) ff. 1r-45v, 158r-163v, 168r-172v, compact fere-humanistic script with exagerrated flourishes at conclusion of most lines. Scribe 2) ff. 46r-157v, 164r-167v, well spaced informal humanistic script. Marginal annotations and arts. 15-16 added, 15th-16th centuries, by several hands., Stained throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Rigid vellum, gold-tooled. Stamped, in gold, on spine: "Caffari Chronica MS.".
Manuscript fragment on parchment of an antiphonary containing Feria V throughout the year
Description:
In Latin., Script: written in a formal, rounded Italian gothic script (littera textualis formata)., and Decoration: the 6-line initial "M" at the beginning of the Psalm is in gold, on a square ground of blue decorated with white filigree; the inside of the initial depicts a good-quality image of David kneeling against a mauve background and looking up to the hand of god; 1-line initials at the beginning of Psalm verses and antiphons alternate in red and blue uncials; rubrics written in red capitals; punctuated with the punctus and punctus elevatus; musical notation is in black on 4-line staves in red.
Manuscript fragment on parchment of an antiphonary containing Saturday throughout the year
Description:
In Latin., Script: written in a formal, rounded Italian gothic script (littera textualis formata)., and Decoration: the 7-line initial "D" at the beginning of the Psalm is in light tan and gold on a square ground in blue with white filigree; the inside of the initial contains a miniature that is badly rubbed, depicting Christ holding a book on a mauve ground; the first line of the Psalm is written in 1-line white capitals on a rectangular red ground; guide letters for the artist are in the margin in red; 1-line initials are black capitals highlighted with red; punctuated with the punctus and punctus elevatus; hyphenation is in the same ink as the text; musical notation is in black on 4-line staves in red.
Manuscript on paper (watermarks in gutter) of 1) Petrarch, Boccacii Griseldis historia. 2) Pope Pius II, Epistola. 3) Petrarch, Famil. rerum., 12, 2. 4) Pope Pius II, Bulla retractationum. 5) Pope Pius II, Epistola de fortuna
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by three scribes in similar styles of informal gothic scripts (batarde influence). Scribe 1) ff. 1r-7r; 2) ff. 7v-14v; 3) ff. 15r-26v., One calligraphic initial, f. 1r, 4-line, blue with white floral motifs; infilled with red penwork floral designs tinted with green; penwork trails into inner margin, with plain green dots. Four initials, ff. 1v, 7v, 10v, 21v, red ink, 6- to 2-line. Paragraph marks in red. Numerous capitals stroked in red; rubrics throughout; explicits underlined in red., and Binding: Twentieth century. Vellum spine (verso of an unidentified manuscript) with "Petrarcae et Aeneae Silvii Epistoles" inscribed; grey-blue paper sides.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Papal documents
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of Gaspare Zacchi, Bononiensium res publica. Most probably the dedication copy, sent by the author from Tivoli to the Signoria of Bologna on or soon after 29 Nov. 1471
Description:
The author (d. 1474) in 1450-1455, being protonotary of Volterra, was a member of Cardinal Bessarion's legation to Bologna. In 1460 he became bishop of Osimo. At the time he wrote the present treatise he was prefect of Tivoli ("Arx Tiburtina")., In Latin., Script: Copied by a single scribe writing Humanistica Cursiva Formata very close in aspect to Humanistica Textualis, with relatively numerous and unusual abbreviations. A second hand, probably the author, has corrected the scribe's errors., The headings and "Finis" on f. 9r are written in Capitalis in pale red ink. The nine chapters open with a plain initial alternately blue and pale red. Between two chapters one line is left free. The Prologus (f. 2r-v) opens with a 3-line gold initial on a blue-red-green rectangular background decorated with white and gold penwork. The body of text opens on f. 3r with a 5-line white vinestem initial with full-length marginal extension. F. 1v contains the coat of arms of the city of Bologna, f. 10r the coat of arms of the author, both in full colour., and Binding: Early nineteenth century by Rene Simier (d. 1826). Citron morocco over pasteboard, both covers with delicate gold-tooled frame, the spine gold-tooled, with gold-tooled title "GASP. / RESP." and binder's signature at the foot "REL. P(ar) SI.". Gilt edges. Grey marbled endpapers.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Bologna (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Zacchi, Gaspare.
Subject (Topic):
Didactic literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Politics and government
