Manuscript on parchment of Aristotle, Ethica. An anonymous Tuscan translation made for Nuno de Guzman from the Latin translation of Leonardo Bruni
Description:
In Italian., Script: Text written in a well formed humanistic bookhand by a single scribe; the rubrics, in majuscules, by another scribe who used excessive punctuation., The decoration is by Gioacchino de' Gigantibus. A gold initial, 5-line, on f. 1r embedded in white vine ornament, extending into sides, top, and lower margin, filled in with green, red, and blue, with small section at regular intervals filled with gold; a green bird near the initial; in lower margin, an empty laurel wreath supported by putti filled later with a coat of arms (unidentified) in pen, now effaced; a few gold dots with hair-spray in brown ink. Other initials, gold, 5- to 4-line, on ff. 7r, 93v, 106v, 126r, 161v, in same manner, but with gold infilling., Significant stains in margins of first few leaves., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Edges gilt. Green calf with tan, gold-tooled label.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Aristotle.
Subject (Topic):
Ethics, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Philosophy, Ancient
Manuscript fragment, on parchment, of an Italian translation of Book 8, chapters 4-5 of the Facta et memorabilia dicta of Valerius Maximus
Description:
In Italian., Script: humanist cursive., Decoration: rubricated. 9 initials of 2 or 3 lines in alternating red and blue ink., and Layout: single columns of 35/36 lines.
Manuscript on paper, written in two stages. Part II was copied in the mid-14th century (before 1369) in Tuscany, possibly in Pisa. Part I was copied by Niccolo di Giovanni Cinuzi da Siena in Ferrara, Italy, by 1 Sept. 1415. Part I: Boccaccio, Filostrato. Part II: Articles 2-35 and 38-39 consist of a collection of Italian canzoni by various authors as well as anonymous poems. Artt. 36 and 37 are fragments of Petrarch, Rerum vulgarum
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks: Part I: similar to Briquet Monts 11678. Part II: similar to Briquet Ciseaux 3737., Script: Part I (ff. 1r-78v): Written by a single scribe in a bold upright notarial script. Part II (ff. 91r-110v): Written in a clear notarial script by a single scribe; later writers have added the initials, offset in margins, for the major sections of text (sometimes inaccurately) and the notes on ff. 109v-110v., Crude drawings include a falconer with birds, f. 103v, and a ghost (?), f. 103r., The pattern of stains suggests the two parts were originally bound separately. Stained throughout; some ink blotches affect text., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown calf over wooden boards, blind-tooled. Red-brown, gold-tooled label. Parchment reinforcements between quires.
Manuscript on parchment of an anonymous Latin grammar, with some Italian translations
Description:
In Latin, with some Italian., Written by a single scribe in careful humanistic cursive, above top line., Folio 1r illuminated by Francesco d'Antonio del Chierico. Full border, partially rubbed, of white vine-stem ornament curling around a thin gold bar against blue, green and pink ground. In outer border, a medallion, framed in gold, with profile of a young man against blue ground. In lower border a wreathed medallion, framed by two circles of gold with partially erased arms. Medallion supported by six green and red winged putti. The entire border inhabited by a large number of putti playing among the vine stem, various birds and three does. Illuminated initial, 3-line, joined to the border, gold against blue, green and pink ground with white vine-stem ornament inhabited by a seated putto. One small illuminated initial, f. 1v, 2-line, gold against blue and pink ground with white filigree (partly rubbed). Plain initials alternate in red and blue. Guide letters for initials., and Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy (?). Semi-limp vellum case.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin language, Grammar, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript bifolium on parchment, containing text from the Heroides, with the text of the Italian prose translation by Filippo Ceffi framing it in the margins
Description:
In Latin and Italian., Script: gothica textualis rotunda italiana., Decoration: capitals touched in yellow ink. Headings in red ink., and Labeled in a large later hand: "Ricorda...anno...161...."
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Ceffi, Filippo. and Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D.
Manuscript on paper (sturdy), composed of two volumes formerly bound as one. Volume I (ff. 1-55): Historia Alexandri Magni compiled largely from the version of Archpresbyter Leo, translated into Italian. Volume 2 (ff. 56-115): Leonardo Bruni, De primo bello punico, translated into Italian
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks: similar in design to Briquet Chapeau 3369-70, unidentified mountain., Script: Written by a single scribe in careless notarial script., Blank spaces for headings that would have also included the first few words of text., and Binding: Twentieth century. Brown decorated paper cases with blank and inscribed labels.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Alexander, the Great, 356-323 B.C.
Subject (Topic):
Italian literature, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Punic wars
Manuscript on paper (lightly burnished) of Poggio Bracciolini, Historia Florentina, translated into Italian by his son Jacopo. With Prefatory letter of Jacopo di Poggio to Federico da Montefeltro
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Chapeau 3387., Script: Written in sloping humanistic bookhand with cursive elements., Illuminated initial in gold, f. 1r, 10-line, infilled and surrounded by flowers in rose and blue (yellow centers), rayed gold discs, winding green stems and leaves, and hair-line decoration. Gold initial, f. 3r, 6-line, on ground composed of blue, green, and rose panels, all decorated with gold scroll designs. Headings in red rustic capitals., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Diced brown calf spine, blind- and gold-tooled, with Strozzi arms and "Poggio istoria tradotta da Iacopo suo figlio" and "M. S. Cartaceo del S. XV". Blue and white decorated paper sides.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Florence (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Bracciolini, Poggio, 1380-1459.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on paper (unidentified watermarks in gutter) of a hunting diary of Ferdinando de' Medici (1549-1609), Cardinal, and Grand Duke of Tuscany; this portion of the manuscript covers the period 15 October 1579 to 21 March 1585
Description:
In Italian., Written in a sprawling cursive script., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Dark green, hard-grained goatskin, gold-tooled, by the same binder as MS 90. Front cover of original limp vellum binding bound in at front of manuscript, with contemporary inscription: "Libro della Caccia che si fe (?)/ Illustrissimo et Reverendissimo Signor Cardinale d'/ Medici mio Signore e padrone".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Tuscany (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Ferdinando I, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 1549-1609.
Subject (Topic):
Hunting, Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Social life and customs
Manuscript on paper of Agostino Cesareo (Rome, 16th century), L'arte del navigare
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by one scribe in careful Humanistica Cursive., Coloured and uncoloured diagrams, illustrations and maps., Many pages are spoiled by the acidity of the ink., and Binding: Original limp vellum. On the front cover the inscription "L'arte de ***"; on the rear cover contemporary calculations.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Cesareo, Agostino.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Cosmography, Navigation, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (watermarks buried in gutter) of Gregorio (or Leonardo?) Dati, La Sfera. This rhyming treatise (ottava rima) is divided into two parts: 1) a treatise on astronomy; 2) rules for navigation and the determination of the position of the sea
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by one person in neat mercantile script., One 4-line initial, f. lr., gold capital with white-vine foliage against a blue, pink and green ground, connected to a 3/4 white-vine border with brown penwork and gold dots; a coat of arms in wreath at center of lower margin. Two 3-line initials, ff. 7r and 14v, gold, against pink and green grounds with yellow and white filigree. Folios 1r-14v illustrated in margins with astronomical and geographical diagrams, all of them circular, tinted drawings in brown pen with red, yellow, blue and green washes. Folios 15r-24v decorated with unframed maps and illustrations drawn in brown pen, and tinted green, brown and red. Most illustrations unlabeled., Some leaves repaired; the manuscript shows signs of heavy use., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Resewn on three vegetable fiber supports. Rounded spine. Covered in black/brown sheepskin over wooden boards with corner tongues. Blind-tooled with five line fillets forming diamonds. There are traces of four bosses on each board and two clasp-and-catch fastenings, the catches on the lower board. Fastenings and bosses are wanting. Concentric circles are scratched in the center of the lower board. Rebacked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Dati, Gregorio, 1362-1436.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Medieval, Italian poetry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Early maps, and Navigation