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 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 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
