Manuscript on parchment (thin, fine quality) of a collection of chansons. Written probably at the Aragonese court in Naples in the 1470's, perhaps as a wedding gift for Beatrice of Aragon, who married Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, in 1476
Description:
In French., Script: Written by one scribe in batarde, usually one line below each staff, but sometimes text written on every other line of the staves., The style of the Chansonnier's initials points to one of the ateliers active in the service of Ferrante I of Naples, in particular to the shop of Matteo Felice. One 2-line initial (f. 1r) tan, shaded purple and green, with curling floral serifs, blue and puce, filled with curling leaves against burnished gold and blue, with white filigree, against gold ground, framed in blue with white filigree; short, 3-stemmed flowers, gold, with brown hair-spray stems project from upper serif and midpoint; 3 gold dots with hair-spray symmetrically disposed around letter; floral border in outer margin, hair-spray stems with gold and green leaves and flowers, blue, purple, and gold at midpoint and terminals. One-line initials throughout, gold, infilled blue or purple, with white filigree, against irregular grounds, purple or blue, edged in black, with white filigree and two short flowering tendrils, as in border on f. 1v; often with a gold dot with hair-spray adjacent in outer margin., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. Brown goatskin, blind-stamped, by Henri Marius-Michel of Paris (1846-1925), whose name is stamped inside the front cover. Not in his usual style. Included in the center front and back panels are monograms of Baron Joseph Vitta.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Frye, Walter, d. 1474 or 5.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Music, and Songs, French
Manuscript on paper of mercantile statutes of Florence in three Books, revised by a committee of experts and promulgated by Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici of Tuscany (1574-1587); the basis for the revision were the statutes of 1393 ("statuto vecchio") and those of 1496 ("statuto nuovo").
Description:
In Italian., Script: Copied by one scribe in sloping calligraphic Humanistica Cursiva., On the frontispiece f. r, a woodcut title-page with spaces for text (a handwritten title) left blank. The full-page woodcut represents the ruins and symbols of Rome with the god of the Tibre under a portico with five allegorical female figures., The paper of most pages is damaged by the corrosive ink., and Binding (repaired): ca. 1700. White parchment over pasteboard. Spine with four raised bands and handwritten title in ink: "Statut. / Florent. / M.S.". Bordeaux edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Florence (Italy)
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Statutes, and Politics and government
Manuscript on paper. Includes notes on arithmetic and accounting for merchandise; a romance of Tristan; list of spices; astronomical and astrological information; charms and prayers; recipes; extracts in Venetian; and poems
Description:
In Italian and Latin., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Fruit 7372-76, Briquet Cheval 3564, and Briquet Fruit 7341., Script: Written by a single scribe in a neat notarial hand, through f. 67v. Notes added by various hands of 14th-15th centuries., Drawings of ships, towers and merchants in ink, with added yellow, brown, green, red and blue; many diagrams. Crude 2- and 1-line initials in red, with guide-letters for rubricator showing beneath; headings in red., Repair of f. 1 with later paper; some loss of text. Repairs at outer edges on this and other folios do not affect text., and Binding: 18th-19th centuries. Rigid vellum case with paste paper back endleaf and pastedowns. Central fold of each bifolium has been reinforced with a strip of parchment.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Venice (Italy)
Subject (Topic):
Accounting, Arithmetic, Astrology, Astronomy, Medieval, Formulas, recipes, etc, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, Merchants, Prayers, Tristan (Legendary character), and Economic conditions
Manuscript on parchment (much worn, pieced) of 1) Ovid, Tristia 1.7.35-40. 2) Ovid, Metamorphoses. With Lactantian tituli added in margins
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by at least three scribes in scripts ranging from late caroline minuscule to early gothic bookhand, all above top line. Interlinear and marginal annotations and running headlines by several hands, 13th-15th centuries., Two illuminated initials, f. 1r, severely damaged: 21-line initial I for first verse of art. 2 incorporates an elongated grotesque, originally purple, red, blue, and green on gold ground; 4-line initial at beginning of art. 1, gold on red ground with center totally effaced. 8-line initial for Bk. 2, f. 8v, gold on blue (?) ground, now rubbed: inhabited by winged grotesque biting its back with intertwining foliage in blue, green, orange and mauve on gold and red ground. Books 3-15 have attractive penwork initials divided red and medium blue with designs in both colors, ascenders and descenders often sweeping far into margins. Headings and paragraph marks in red. First letter of each verse (either set apart from text block between the first and second or placed directly on the second vertical bounding line) stroked with yellow., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Sewing, possibly original, on four kermes pink slit straps. Plain, wound endbands on tawed skin cores. Tan blind-tooled goatskin over wooden boards, also possibly original as they are cut in for the straps. Title gold-tooled on spine: "Ovidii Metam./ Saec. XV. M. S. in memb".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Lactantius, ca. 240-ca. 320. and Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin fiction, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of seventeen miniatures (all versos), formerly inserted in MS 287, which were removed and rebound in their present form when recognized as the work of the 19th-century facsimilist, Caleb Wing. They were intended to replace originals excised from MS 287 at an uncertain date. As suggested by the format of MS 287, there were probably only sixteen miniatures in the original program
Description:
Binding: 19th-20th centuries. Worn red velvet.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Wing, C. W. fl. 1826-1860. (Charles William),
Subject (Topic):
Arts, Forgeries, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Two miniatures, on parchment, both fragments of a Book of Hours, depicting events in the Passion of Christ, both in color with gold and burnished gold. The first depicts the Flagellation of Christ within a stylized architectural frame. The second depicts the Carrying of the Cross in a stylized landscape which includes two other crosses erected against a gold diapered background
Description:
Attributed to the workshop of Jacquemart de Hesdin.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Jacquemart, de Hesdin, active 1380-1411. and Jesus Christ
Subject (Topic):
Passion, Books of hours, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of The Mirrour of the Blessed Lyf of Jesu Crist, translated into English by Nicholas Love. With Memorandum stating that the original copy of the translation was given to Thomas Arundell, Abp. of Canterbury, for his approval, in 1410
Description:
In Middle English., Script: Written by one hand in bastard Anglicana., Initials at beginning of each day, 4-line, on ff. 22r, 34r, 53r, 106r, gold against pink and blue grounds, with white filigree, partial borders of acanthus leaves and daisy buds in purple, pink, orange and blue, black hair-spray with green leaves and gold dots. (Similar initials or more important decoration probably occurred on the folios missing at the beginning of Prohemium, Monday, Friday and Chapter 64.) 3- and 2-lines initials gold against pink and blue, with white filigree, short border of hair-spray with green leaves and gold dots. 1-line initials and paragraph marks gold with blue penwork or blue with red used in text and in running titles and notations in outer margin. Line-fillers in blue and gold; rubrics throughout., Outer margin of f. 37 cut off., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. Olive green goatskin, blind-tooled, with gold-tooled label. Two clasp-and-catch fastenings. Bound by Zaehnsdorf (London, ca. 1842-1930). Original flyleaf (f. iv) is a bifolium, inserted sideways, from a manuscript written in England, 14th century, in Anglicana formata. On the recto and verso at top, portions of a prose text by Richard Rolle; on the recto and verso at bottom, Rolle's Commandment of Love.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Love, Nicholas, fl. 1410. and Rolle, Richard, of Hampole, 1290?-1349.
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, English (Middle), English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment. Formerly known as the "Fouquet Missal", based on the mistaken attribution of the illumination to Fouquet
Description:
In French., Script: Written by a single scribe in formal gothic bookhand., A richly decorated manuscript with an unusual and elaborate program of miniatures by at least four artists: the Master of the Vienna Mamerot, Jean Colombe, a hand close to the Masters of Morgan 96 and 366, and a fourth artist whose hand has not yet been identified in other manuscripts. Each large miniature (107 total) has a full border incorporating four marginal scenes (428 in all) with subjects which either amplify or follow closely from the action of the miniature, disposed with two rectangular scenes in the outer border and two roundels in the lower border. The subsidiary miniatures, framed in red, are surrounded by blue and gold acanthus, flowering vines in green, blue and red, ivy in black pen with gold dots, large, naturalistic flowers, and black hair-spray with gold dots. The borders are framed on the outer edges with a red bounding line, on the inner edges with a red or gold bounding line., 4- and 2-line initials throughout, shaded pink or blue with gold foliate decoration against blue or pink grounds with pink or blue curling leaves, heightened in gold. 1-line initials, gold, against pink or blue grounds with gold filigree. On ff. 6r-13v the 4- and 2-line initials, as well as line-fillers in the same manner, are painted over blue or red initials with red or blue penwork and line fillers in red, blue and gold. The overpainting of this archaizing decoration reflects a change in decorative scheme rather than an interval of three-quarters of a century between the writing and the illumination of the manuscript. Rubrics and some underlining in red throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Quarter bound in brown goatskin. Blue/green cloth sides with silver fastenings and fittings. On fastenings small roundels with portraits of the evangelists; on clasp a roundel with Annunciation. Numerous Turk's head place-marks on fore edge. Earlier covers, 17th century, mounted inside boards.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Missals
Manuscript on parchment, composed of four parts. Written at the end of the 14th century (Parts I, III) and in 1578 (Parts II, IV); the prominence of St. Maclovius (Macutus) suggests that Parts II and IV were produced in Brittany or Normandy
Description:
In Latin., Script: Parts I and III (ff. 1r-40v, 48r-72v): Written in liturgical gothic of two sizes, by one scribe. Parts II and IV (ff. 41r-47v, 73r-102v) were intended to be integrated into the earlier portion: Written in liturgical gothic of the late 16th century, in two sizes by a single scribe; the letters slant slightly toward the left., On f. 48r, a 5-line historiated initial (65 x 58 mm.), white-decorated red and blue on a gold ground, enclosing a priest serving Communion; from the corners sprout blue vines with white, gold, and red trilobe leaves, extending around 3 sides of the page. On f. 1r, an 8-line illuminated initial of white-decorated blue and red (63 x 65 mm.), filled with blue and red trilobe leaves, on a gold ground; the base of the letter is extended around the inner and lower margins as a gold, blue, red, and white bounding line; from the lower two corners of this line and the upper left corner of the initial sprout vines, as for the historiated initial. 3- and 2-line initials in orange-tinted red or blue; rubrics throughout. Square notes in brown on 4-line orange-tinted red staves (the red ink has bled so that the whole written space has an orange glow). Parts II and IV: 4- to 1-line initials in red and blue. Rubrics are sometimes set off on the right side of the page by a narrow vertical border in brown. Musical notation: square notes on 4-line staves, all in brown., and Binding: 1981. Quarter cloth case, retaining brown mottled paper covered boards, 19th century. Traces of earlier bindings.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Missals
Manuscript on parchment (thick, good quality), composed of four parts. Although all four parts may be roughly contemporary in execution, they apparently were not assembled together as a "missal" until the 15th century, at which point the manuscript was annotated and cross-referenced from beginning to end; it is possible that only the lectionary and sacramentary in Part IV were originally intended to be used together
Description:
In Latin., Script: Part I (ff. 2-8): Text of calendar written in gothic bookhand by a single scribe; many later additions in several hands. Part II (ff. 9-56): Written in gothic bookhand, with additions in several different hands in less formal styles of writing. Musical notation consists of Austrian adiastematic neumes in the same ink as the text. Part III (ff. 57-64): Written in large liturgical gothic bookhand. Part IV (ff. 65-276): Written in gothic bookhand; several layers of marginalia added in less formal hands., Part I: KL monograms, in red, embellished with knobs. Part II: Eleven large initials, 12- to 6-line, drawn in red and/or brown ink against geometric grounds of blue and lime-green washes. The initials are constructed of dragons and other fantastic animals, or of stylized foliage inhabited by biting beasts and birds. Plain initials in blue, red or lime-green, some with blue and/or red penwork designs, others with knobs. Major headings in majuscules with letters alternating red, black, and sometimes lime green; other headings in red. Instructions to rubricator perpendicular to text. Part III: The decoration of the Canon of the Mass consists of a 3/4-page miniature of the crucifixion, f. 60r, framed with a narrow border of olive green, red and blue with white filigree. Christ is shown hanging from a Y-shaped Astkreuz flanked by Mary and St. John, against gold ground. The gold ground is largely rubbed and the figures are partly restored (lower part of St. John's robe has been reworked, and flaked paint on the cross and Christ's loin cloth replaced). Marginal illustration of what appears to be a kneeling Augustinian canon dressed in white and red robes, adjoining the Te igitur (f. 60v). Three illuminated initials, ff. 58r, 59v, 60v, for the Canon of the Mass, 7- to 5-line, pale mauve with stylized scrolls and green foliage against gold ground edged in blue with white filigree. Vere dignum initials, 3-line, alternate in red and blue with penwork in either blue or red. Part IV: Pen-and-ink initials, 7- to 4-line, of a similar design as in Part II, but lacking the vitality; drawn in brown and/or red ink with stylized foliage and palmettes sometimes touched with blue or red against blue, red and/or lime-green ground. Smaller initials, 4-line, red, blue or green with red and/or green penwork design. Plain initials in red. Headings in red. Instructions for rubricator perpendicular to text., Elegant repairs to parchment sewn with blue and chartreuse thread (e.g., f. 27). Most of the leaves of Part III have been repaired., and Binding: Nineteenth century, England. Quarter bound in brown calf, blind-tooled, over wooden board. Metal fittings at the head and tail of the leather and two fastenings.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Missals
