Manuscript on parchment of Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, Books I (parts 1 and 2)-II, in an unidentified and freely adapted Italian translation (e.g., the opening portion of Book II is greatly abbreviated).
Description:
Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. Sewn on four tawed skin, slit straps nailed in channels on the outside of wooden boards. Yellow edges. Pink, green and cream endbands sewn on five cores. Covered in dark red goatskin with corner tongues, blind-tooled with a central ornament in a panel bordered with rope interlace in concentric frames. Two fastenings, leaf-shaped catches on the lower board and the upper board cut in for the clasp straps. Rebacked twice., Purchased from L. C. Witten in 1955 by Thomas E. Marston., Script: Written in an elegant, upright mercantesca script by a single scribe, below top line., and Spaces for headings and decorative initials remain unfilled. Initial on f. 1r later addition.
Subject (Geographic):
Egypt--History--To 640 A.D
Subject (Name):
Diodorus,--Siculus
Subject (Topic):
History, Ancient, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of a Papal bull dated 22 October 1463 in unidentified Italian translation, announcing the adherence of Pope Pius II to the Hungarian-Venetian league.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century. Rigid vellum case., One initial, 4-line, in black ink on f. 1r., Script: Written in upright mercantesca bookhand (no loops)., and Watermarks: unidentified horn in gutter.
Subject (Geographic):
Venice (Italy)--History
Subject (Name):
Pius--II,--Pope,--1405-1464
Subject (Topic):
Bulls, Papal, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment of Leonardo Bruni, De bello italico adversus gothos, in the Italian version by Ludovico Petroni made in 1456. Preceded by the letter of Leonardo Bruni to Giuliano Cardinal Cesarini (1398-1444).
Description:
Binding: 18th-19th centuries, Italy. "Alla rustica" with grey-green paper added over the spine and part of the boards. Edges yellow., Partial border in inner margin of white vine-stem ornament, f. 1r, on blue, green and pink ground with white and blue dots. In lower border terminals extending in ink hair spray with green, pink and blue flowers and gold balls frame central medallion with a crude outline drawing of a head in profile (later addition?). Two decorated initials, 4- to 3-line, gold on blue, pink and green grounds with white vine-stem ornament. On f. 1r initial joined to partial border. Heading on f. 1r in red., and Script: Written by a single scribe in fere-gothic script, above top line.
Subject (Geographic):
Rome--History
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature--15th century, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of 1) Leonardo Bruni, La prima guerra punica, in an anonymous Italian translation. 2) Leonardo Bruni, Vita di Dante. 3) Leonardo Bruni, Vita di Francesco Petrarca.
Description:
Binding: Twentieth century, England (?). Hard-grained, brown leather case. Gold-tooled title and date on spine: "L. Bruni Guerra Punica/ Vite di Dante e Petrarca/ MS. Sec. XV". Bright blue marbled edges., Decoration of poor quality: 12-line divided initial in red and blue, f. 1r; 5-line blue initial with red penwork decoration, f. 51v; 5-line divided initial red and blue, f. 51r. Plain red and blue initials, 4- to 3-line, alternate throughout. Headings in bright red., Purchased from H. P. Kraus in 1957 by Thomas E. Marston., Script: Written by two scribes: ff. 1r-51v in humanistic semi-cursive script, above top line; ff. 51v-59v in fere-humanistic script, above top line., and Watermarks: similar to Briquet Monts 11684.
Subject (Name):
Dante Alighieri,--1265-1321 and Petrarca, Francesco,--1304-1374
Subject (Topic):
Biography--Middle Ages, 500-1500, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Punic wars
Manuscript on parchment (hair side yellow and speckled) of Walter Burley, De vita et moribus philosophorum; an abridged translation that contains only 77 lives.
Description:
Belonged to Giuseppe (Joseph) Martini from whom it was acquired by H. P. Kraus, who sold it in 1956 to Thomas E. Marston., Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy. Tan calf, blind- and gold-tooled. Head and fore edge bluish green; lettering on tail edge. In panels on spine: "Detti de' filosofi/ MSS. in Perg./ Sec. XV"., Script: Written in a humanistic hand both above and below top line by Johannes Nydenna de Confluentia, who would sometimes complete the final word of the final line of text (recto only) by writing the letters down between the outer vertical bounding lines., and Space left for decorative initial on f. 1r later filled with plain initial and a stylized sprig of flowers, in turquoise. Plain intials throughout text alternate in red and blue.
Subject (Topic):
Biography--Middle Ages, 500-1500, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Philosophy, Ancient
Manuscript on paper of 1) Note on the reign of the first Doge of Venice, Pauluccio Anafesto (697-717). 2) History of Venice from its legendary foundation to 695. 3) Alphabetical list of Venetian noble families, with their coats of arms and notes on their history. 4) History of the Doges of Venice up to Francesco Venier, elected 1554, d. 1556, with their coats of arms.
Description:
Binding: Date? Pasteboard., In Italian., Painted coats of arms, those in art. 3 in decorative cartouches. Large decorative painted initials for each family name., Script: Copied by two hands. A (ff.IIr and 1r-84v): Gothica Cursiva Libraria/Currens; B (ff. 85r-170r): Humanistica Cursiva Currens., and The top and the lower corners of the final leaves badly damaged by moist, with loss of some text.
Subject (Geographic):
Venice (Italy)--History
Subject (Topic):
Heraldry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Nobility--Italy
Manuscript on paper of Christophorus Columbus (Christopher C.,1451-1506), Epistola de insulis de novo repertis. Relation of his first voyage to America (1492-1493), addressed to Raphael Sanchez and translated into Latin by Leander de Cosco, dated 14 March 1493. Probably copied from the edition Paris, [Guy Marchant, after 29 April 1493], GKW 7175, variant (a). With Bartholomaeus Columbus (Bartholomew C., c. 1460-1514), Descrizione della navigazione nel Mondo Nuovo. The text is in the wrong order, being probably copied from an exemplar in four pages, of which pages 2 and 3 were inverted. The manuscript should be read in the following order: (1) p. 1, lines 1 to 20 asai; (2) p. 2, lines 6 lavorate to 28 vidono di; (3) p. 1, line 20 dismontar to p. 2, line 6 corazze; (4) p. 2, line 29 bambaso to the end. Copied by one hand in Gothica Hybrida Formata verging to the Semitextualis, with a typographic outlook (but totally different from the printing type used in the presumed exemplar).
Description:
At the top of the first page the autograph ownership inscription of Sigismondo Pandolfo de Malatesta (1498-1543?), son of Pandolfo Malatesta. From the Gritti family archives., Cite as: Christopher Columbus, Epistola de Insulis de Novo Repertis. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University., In Latin and Italian., Paragraph marks, flourished initials (5 ll. f. 1r, 3 ll. f. 5r) and Columbus coat of arms all in the same brown ink as the text. The arms closely resemble those found in the Genoa codex of his Book of Privileges., Unbound. Placed in a boardpaper portfolio and leather-backed boardpaper slip-case., and Watermark: cardinal's hat, var. Briquet 3409 ... (1519-1527?).
Subject (Geographic):
North America -- Description and travel--Early works to 1800
Subject (Name):
Columbus, Christopher and Cosco, Leandro di
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature -- 16th century, Manuscripts, Medieval -- Connecticut -- New Haven, and Navigation
Manuscript on paper (trimmed) of Five Novelle. First novella about Valeria married against her will to Pietro Lombardo; Second: "Julia e Prunneo"; Third: "Lucretia e Hyeronimo"; Fourth: "Camilla e Estore"; Fifth: "Justa Victoria," by Felice Feliciano.
Description:
Binding: Eighteenth century. Gilt, gauffered edges. Brown sheepskin over wooden boards, blind-tooled. Floral woodblock paste paper pastedowns and endleaves. Two fastenings with shell-shaped clasps on the upper board and pins in the edge of the lower. Rebacked., Decorated with several miniatures and borders in water and body color: f. i verso, full-page miniature of tomb in a landscape, with an epigraphic inscription. Arms above inscription: azure, a fess or; an inescutcheon azure, a bend wavy or. On f. 1r, a full frame, outer, inner and upper margins with bucrania, trophies, swags, jewels, arms and armor (including two shields: azure, a fess or; and azure, a bend wavy [Marcello]), in blue, pink, green and gold, framed in gold; lower margin, a parapet with a cornice, enclosing a cartouche with bust, supported by putti and flanked by the letters "A. A.", background filled with spiral flowing vines, pink, blue, green and gold, with brown hair-spray. Cartouches bearing inscriptions on ff. 53v, 82v, 105v. On f. 145v a scroll, written in red and blue letters festooned on a tree in a landscape, the ends supported by two putti. At the beginning of each novel, a 3- or 2-line initial, gold, against a purple or crimson ground with gold floral filigree; followed by several words in text script, gold against a crimson or purple rectangular ground., Script: Written by one person in bold italic., and Watermarks: crossed arrows buried in gutter.
Subject (Name):
Feliciano, Felice,--15th cent
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature--16th century, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment (speckled on hair side) of 1) Petrarch, Rerum vulgarium fragmenta. 2) Petrarch, Triumphi.
Description:
Acquired from H. P. Kraus in 1960 by Thomas E. Marston., Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy. Brown calf, blind- and gold-tooled. Gilt edges. Title on spine: "Petrarca". Signed by "CR"., Illuminated by Antonio di Niccolo di Lorenzo. The decoration consists of an illuminated title page with full border, white vine-stem ornament on blue, red and green ground with white, blue and pale yellow dots, respectively, with a thin gold bar in all margins, forming a diamond (black) in inner and a roundel with a profile head of a young woman against blue sky with some clouds in the outer margin. In the lower border a medallion (erased) framed in gold and supported by four round-faced putti with multicolored wings in green and red. Superimposed on the border are a variety of multicolored birds, a lion and two putti. These animals are related to animals in contemporary Florentine manuscripts and perhaps reflect the use of a model book. Historiated initial, 10-line, gold, on blue green and red ground with white vine-stem ornament attached to the inner border, with a half-length portrait of Petrarch holding a book against a blue sky with white cloud formations. Six illuminated initials (ff. 143r, 155v, 159r, 168v, 176r, 178v), 6- and 5-line, gold on blue, red and green grounds with white vine-stem ornament extending into margin, and gold dots with hair-line extensions. On f. 143r, initial joined to partial border, same as above. Plain initials in blue, paragraph marks alternate red and blue. Headings in red., and Script: Written by Carlo di Palla Guidi in a round humanistic script, above top line.
Subject (Name):
Petrarca, Francesco,--1304-1374
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian poetry--To 1400, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library