Manuscript on parchment of Jacopo Zeno, Vita Caroli Zeni. With a dedicatory preface to Pope Pius II. This manuscript is of special importance because it contains the complete work
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in humanistic script by Franciscus de Tianis of Pistoia., On f. 1r, a foliage border which includes hares, stork, vase, and arms of the Piccolomini family (argent, a cross azur with 5 crescents or; surmounted by keys in saltire argent and a papal tiara; supported by a pair of angels). Eleven elaborate initials, 11- to 7-line, in gold, red, blue, and green entwined with foliage. The style of decoration is decidedly Roman., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Brownish-red goatskin, gold-tooled; pale green and gold, Dutch gilt paper boards.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Zeno, Carlo, 1334-1418. and Zeno, Jacopo, 1417-1481.
Subject (Topic):
Biography, Crusades, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Iacobus Zeno (d. 1481), De vita et moribus Nicolai Albergati
Description:
Niccolo Albergati (1375-1443) became bishop of Bologna in 1417 and cardinal in 1426. See about him Dizionario biografico degli Italiani, v. 1 (Rome, 1960), pp. 619-621., In Latin., Script: Copied by one hand in late Humanistica Cursiva Libraria., Undecorated., Several margins and folds strengthened by means of strips of paper pasted on them., and Binding: Half blue marbled paper, the covers of white cardboard. On the front cover a large paper label with engraved flowery cartouche and 18th-century handwritten title: "Vita B. Nicolai Albergati a Iacobo Zeno descripta. Ms.". At the top an oval label with the number "33" (19th century).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Albergati, Nicolò, 1375-1443. and Zeno, Jacopo, 1417-1481.
Subject (Topic):
Biography, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Bernardo Giustiniani (Bernardus Iustiniani, 1408-1489), Vita Beati Laurentii Iustiniani, translated into Italian by the Venetian Niccolo Manerbi (Malherbi, 1422-81).
Description:
St. Laurence Giustiniani (1381-1456) was the first patriarch of Venice. The author of this biography was his nephew., In Italian., Watermark: anchor in circle, closest to Briquet 471 (1527)?., Script: Written by one scribe in an unusually bold, angular and decorated Southern Gothica Textualis Formata., Red headings. Heightening of the majuscules in dark yellow. Red plain initials, 2 lines, at the opening of the chapters. Flourished red paragraph marks. A flourished initial in red with blue penwork, with extension the height of the text area in the left margin, on f. 1r., Many pages are deteriorated by the acidity of the ink., and Binding: Original blind-tooled half brown leather over wooden boards; two clasps (?) attached to the front cover. Spine with three raised bands and gold-tooled title "VITA DI S. LOREN. IUSTI". Endpapers with coloured floral pattern.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Giustiniani, Bernardo, 1408 or 1409-1489. and Lawrence Justinian, Saint, 1381-1456.
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, Italian, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (with various watermarks), composed of five separate manuscripts bound together. Parts I and II were written in the 15th century and III-V in the 17th century. Part I: Vita di San Petronio. Part II: Tommaso Nacci Caffarini, Tractatus de stigmatibus extractus, the second part of the book De supplemento legende beate Katerine de senis. Part III: Federico Borromeo, Vita S. Caroli Borromei. Part IV: Pope Pius II, De morte eugenij Quarti creationeque et coronatione Niccolai V oratio. Part V: Thomas Obicinus, Motiuo Celeste diretto in questo segnato tempo
Description:
In Latin and Italian., Script: Part I: Round humanistic by a single scribe. Part II: Small neat round textura in a single hand. Part III: Written by one scribe in a calligraphic italic hand. Part IV: Written in italic hand by a single scribe. Part V: Written in a small italic hand by one scribe., Part I: Simple penwork initials in red or blue, some with penwork designs of the other color. Part II: Uninspired and badly rubbed historiated initial (Christ [?] displaying stigmata) on gold background with three gold dots, f. 19r; small decorative initials in red with black penwork designs, or blue with red. Paragraph marks in red or blue., The manuscript has been damaged and repaired extensively. Parts I and III: Waterstained and mended throughout. Part II: Folios have been trimmed with some loss of marginalia., and Binding: 18th-19th centuries. Vellum and paste paper case.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Petronius, Saint, Bishop of Bologna, d. ca. 445.
Subject (Topic):
Christian hagiography, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Papal documents, and Stigmatization
Manuscript on paper of Artt. 1-6: Aesop (Aesopus, 6th cent. before C.), Vita et fabulae, Latin translation by Rinuccio da Castiglione (Rinucius Aretinus, ca. 1395-after 1456). Artt. 7-8: Aesop, Fabulae, Latin translation by Ognibene Leoniceno (Omnibonus Leonicenus, 1412-1481).
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks: Briquet 2472 (?); var. Briquet 7918 (?); other (scissors and scale)., Script: Copied by two hands: Section I in unusual Humanistica Cursiva Libraria with the features of Humanistica Semitextualis; Section II in Humanistica Cursiva Libraria., Pale red headings in Section II only (the headings in Section I are in black ink). Pale red paragraph marks. 2- or 3-line pale red plain or slightly decorated initials, with guide-letters in the left margin., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Half leather over cardboard, the paper covers decorated with a lozenged pattern of black and red dots. Gold-tooled spine with brown leather title-label with gold-tooled inscription "ESOPI FABBUL. ***7".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Aesop.
Subject (Topic):
Didactic literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Fables, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (thick, coarse) of the Life of Saint Birgitta, in two books
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in quasi-italic by a single scribe., Hand-colored engraving of St. Birgitta, standing with open book in left hand and crucifix in right, pasted to f. 11v. Same engraving (but uncolored) of St. Birgitta pasted to f. 106v., Folio 16 cut in half, with loss of text., and Binding: Nineteenth century (?). Vellum case with stubs of two ties. Title, in ink, on spine and front cover: "Vita Sancta [sic] matris nostrae Birgittae". Red edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Bridget, of Sweden, Saint, approximately 1303-1373. and Bridgettines.
Subject (Topic):
Christian hagiography, Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of Plutarch, Vitae, translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in an upright italic by a single scribe., Small, 4-line, white vine initials, one to commence each work, gold, infilled with pink and green with white dots, all on a blue ground; gold dots and hairsprays., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Green goatskin with red labels on spine. Delicately gold-tooled.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Plutarch.
Subject (Topic):
Biography, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
In Latin., Script: copied by one hand, writing Gothica Hybrida Libraria/Currens. Red headings and stroking of majuscules. Red initials, some plain and some flourished, the latter of which have black penwork of various sizes., and Binding: original, blind-tooled white leather over bevelled wooden boards (the front board broken and repaired), sewn on three split leather thongs. On each board five small brass bosses. Marks of two leather straps fixed on the rear board with small decorated brass plates. Pins in rectangular brass plates in the middle of the front board.
Manuscript on parchment of Diogenes Laertius, Vitae et sententiae philosophorum, translated into Latin by Ambrogio Traversari and preceded by his dedicatory letter to Cosimo de' Medici
Description:
In Latin., Script: Main text written in round humanistic bookhand by a single scribe., The decoration consists of a 3/4 border, f. 1r, of intricate white vine-stem ornament curling around thin gold bars (doubled in inner and lower margins) on a blue, green and pale pink ground dotted with white, yellow and blue, and gold balls. Incorporated into the lower border are a medallion (blank) framed by a laurel wreath and two narrow gold bands, a stag, and a putto with multi-colored wings in blue, green and dark red. In the inner margin are two birds in brown, orange and white. Ten illuminated initials, 9- to 4-line, gold on blue, green and pale pink background with white vine-stem ornament. Numerous smaller initials, 3- to 2-line, gold on blue and pink or green and pink grounds with white and gold filigree. Headings in black majuscules. Running headlines, in red, on ff. 1-4 only., Some worming at beginning of text., and Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. A hybrid Italo-Greek binding. Sewn or resewn (the sewing is too tight to determine with certainty) on five tawed skin, slit straps. Wooden boards which are not flush at head and tail are grooved on the edges. Beaded Western endbands added. Covered in dark brown calf, blind-tooled with a triple cross made up of gilt annular dots and rope interlace in a central panel within concentric frames alternately made up of a beaded zigzag ribbon and feathered rinceau. Similar tools are used on Marston MSS 39 and 68. Spine: bands outlined and panels diapered with triple fillets. Traces of four braid-and-pin fastenings, the pins in the edges of the lower board instead of the upper board as is usual in Greek bindings. "Diogenes ***" is added on the fore edge; "diogenes laergi" is written in batarde on a label under horn at the head of the upper board, possibly added in northern Europe.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Diogenes Laertius. and Medici, Cosimo de', 1389-1464.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Philosophy, Ancient, and Literature, Medieval
