Manuscript on parchment of Caesar, Bellum Gallicum, translated into Italian by Pier Candido Decembrio in 1438. With Dedication of the translation to Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written below top line in a bold round humanistic hand by a single scribe who added extra rulings in outer margins for headings, annotations, etc., in red. Additional annotations in humanistic cursive, in a brighter shade of red., Elegant illuminated title page (f. 2v) with the title, written in blue over an erasure, in a circular wreath, green with gold flowers, and framed by narrow gold bands with fillets and inkspray issuing from the top and bottom with blue and deep red flowers, green leaves and gold balls. Full border, f. 1r, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green, deep red and gold ground between thin gold frames. In lower border, medallion, blank, framed by wreath, green with yellow highlights and narrow deep red frame. Partial border, f. 3r, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green and deep red ground between narrow gold frames, enlarged to elongated dots at terminals; white vine-stem ornament extends into upper (trimmed) and lower margins, with single gold balls with hair-line strokes. 8 large initials, 11- to 3-line, gold on blue, green, gold and deep red ground with white vine-stem ornament shaded with pale pink. First few words of each book in gold; incipits, explicits and marginalia in red., and Binding: Date? Italy. Vellum case with title in ink on spine: "Cesare Comment". Gilt, gauffered edges and gold and cream silk endbands. Fragments of a printed service book with musical notation partially visible under pastedowns.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Caesar, Julius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History, Military
Manuscript on paper of C. Iulius Caesar (100-44 B.C.), De bello Gallico; De bello civili; De bello Alexandrino; De bello Africo; De bello Hispaniensi
Description:
In Latin., Script: Copied by one scribe writing a small Gothico-Humanistica with features close to Gothica Semitextualis Libraria., Pale red headings in Humanistica Textualis, sometimes missing, especially towards the end of the codex. Running headlines in the same colour and by the same hand, “L” in the middle of the verso page, the number in the middle and the title at right on the recto page. Gothic initials at the head of the subdivisions of the text as sketched above (including f. 69r): (1) foliate initials in Lombard style in red and green, filled with blue heightened with white penwork, on a square gold background, up to f. 51r; the opening one (f. 1r) is 9 lines high and has penwork extensions ending in leaves in the left and upper margin (the latter interfering with the heading); the others are 4-5 lines high and have similar sprays in the left margin only; (2) Starting f. 68v (art. 2) blue flourished initials (4-6 lines) with red penwork, the latter extending in the margin., and Binding: ca. 1700 (repaired in 1993 by P. Dusel). Brown sprinkled calf over cardboard, gold-tooled: the covers decorated with a double fillet frame, the spine, with seven raised bands, richly decorated. In the second compartment a red title label with gold-tooled inscription “CESARIS / COMMENT/ARII .Ms.” Red edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Caesar, Julius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History, Military
Manuscript on paper of Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.), Commentarii de bello Gallico; with flyleaf notarial documents
Description:
Script: Copied by one hand (scribe named John for unknown commissioner), writing Gothica Hybrida Libraria and using some Capitalis majuscules (especially "a"); while the flyleaves are written in documentary Gothica Semihybrida., Decoration: Headings and explicit formula in purplish red, generally in imitation Capitalis; 3- (once 4-) line initials in the same colour, mostly in imitation Capitalis; running headlines in red on the recto pages, containing the number of the book in Roman numerals., Binding: Blind-tooled red leather over wooden boards, sewn on four double cords; both covers are decorated with frames of fillets; the central panel is decorated in Lederschnitt; plaited headbands; and two brass clasps attached to the rear board., and In Latin.
Manuscript on parchment (poor quality) of Leonardo Bruni, De primo bello punico, compiled largely from Polybius
Description:
In Latin., Script: Text written by a single scribe in humanistic cursive script, above top line. Marginal notes (mostly proper names and events) added by at least two hands, 15th-16th centuries, with one set added throughout in red by a scribe who also placed Roman numerals for each book in upper margin., One large illuminated initial, 4-line, gold on blue, light green and pink ground with white vine-stem ornament. Initial joined to partial border, white vine-stem ornament on blue, light green and pink ground with white dots and gold balls with penwork extensions in brown ink. Two smaller initials on ff. 23v and 38r, 4-line, gold, outlined in yellow on blue grounds with white highlights. Plain initial, f. 1v, and headings in pale red., and Binding: Nineteenth century, England (?). Quarter bound in red, hard-grained goatskin, gold-tooled, with printed marbled paper sides. Edges spattered yellow and black. Title on spine: "Leonardi Aretini, Commentarii. MS. in membranis".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Bruni, Leonardo, 1369-1444.
Subject (Topic):
Manuscripts, Medieval, History, Military, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Latin literature, Medieval and modern
