Manuscript on paper of Nicolaus Cusanus, De Beryllo. The Beinecke manuscript is the oldest witness to this text
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Fleur 6651 (a. 1452, not 1552 as printed)., Script: Written in fere-humanistic script by one scribe., Two illuminated initials, one on f. 1v, 11-line, with the arms of Nicolaus Cusanus, mauve, green, blue, and gold acanthus with yellow and white highlights, against a square gold ground, edged with brown pen; foliate serifs with extensive penwork and gold dots fill outer margin. The second initial, f. 1r, 7-line, as above, with short penwork extensions and silver dots; body of the initial incorporates the lens (beryllus). Diagrams to complement text in margins., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries (?). Sewn on three small, tawed skin, slit strap supports laced into made boards. The head edge is spattered green. Covered in light brown goatskin with corner tongues. Four fastenings of suede-like ribbons. Blind-tooled with concentric frames, the center filled in with a floral design, dotted with ring punches. All but one of the fastenings wanting.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Nicholas, of Cusa, Cardinal, 1401-1464.
Subject (Topic):
Knowledge, Theory of., Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Philosophy, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of 1) Will of Guglielmo di Montiglio, councillor of Guglielmo X (VIII) Palaeologus, Margrave of Montferrato, 1464-1483, dated Casale Montferrato, 8 Febr. 1469. 2) Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (afterwards Pope Pius II, 1458-1464), De miseriis curialium, a letter addressed to the German courtier Iohannes von Eich, written 1444
Description:
In Latin., Watermark: flower (?)., Art. 1 is copied in a rapid Humanistica Cursiva Libraria. Art. 2, by another hand, is in Humanistica Textualis Formata., Art. 1 is undecorated. Art. 2 opens with a 3-line plain initial in red and blue, followed by a line in Capitals. In the lower margin of f. 5r a coat of arms gules, with a head (?) azure and a heart-shield gold. Initial and coat of arms, of mediocre execution, are by the same hand., and Binding: Nineteenth century. De luxe binding by Chambolle-Duru. Brown morocco over pasteboard, the turn-ins gold-tooled; marbled endpapers. Spine with five raised bands and gold-tooled inscription: "AENEAS / SYLVIUS / DE / MISERIIS / CURIALIUM". Gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Pius II, Pope, 1405-1464.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Letters, Papal, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Wills
Manuscript on parchment (fine, smooth) of 1) Prologue. 2) Moamin, De scientia venandi per aves, translated into Latin by Theodorus of Antioch. Although the prologue states that there are four treatises composed by Moamin, the fourth (Quartus naturam et medicamen qutrupedum [sic] cum quibus uenamur) is omitted in this manuscript. 3) Treatise of Dancus rex. 4) Treatise of Guillelmus falconarius. 5) Four anonymous descriptions of types of falcons. Produced probably for Ferdinand II of Aragon (arms on f. 1r).
Alternative Title:
Moamin
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in elegant round humanistic script below top line., One miniature, f. 1r, five falcons sitting on a perch in a niche, with a 6-line initial, blue and light green, with green and blue acanthus, against gold, framed in red, with white dots; full border, pink and blue flowers on stems with pink, orange and green leaves and gold dots spiraling around a pink and gold bar; framed in gold and inhabited by birds, putti, four of the putti in lower margin supporting a coat-of-arms. 5-line initials, gold, filled with blue or crimson with flowers in white, on irregular grounds, crimson or blue with flowers in white, and hair-spray extensions with crimson and blue leaves, flowers and gold trefoil leaves or dots. 2-line initials, gold, filled with crimson or blue against irregular crimson or blue grounds with white filigree. Rubrics throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Red goatskin, gold-tooled with "Cetreria" on spine. Gilt edges with lettering on fore-edge.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Falconry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Joannes de Sacro Bosco, De sphaera. 2) Unidentified Cosmographicae libellus. 3) Nicolas Oresme, Traite de la sphere, in a Latin translation apparently extant only in this manuscript
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by one person in small fere-humanistic script bordering on cursive, verso., Simple decorative initials, 5- to 2-line, in red. Headings, paragraph marks, strokes on majuscules at beginning of sentences, and marginal notes, in red., Seventeen carefully executed astronomical drawings and two tables, in red, black, yellow and beige, accompany arts. 1 and 3., and Binding: 18th-19th centuries. Limp vellum case. "Tractatus spere" on tail edge.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Sacro Bosco, Joannes de, active 1230.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Medieval, Cosmography, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of Martial, Epigrams. The codex was misbound; the epigrams are out of order. Excerpts from the critical commentary of Domizio Calderini (Professor of Rhetoric at Rome in 1470) surround the text on ff. 1r-24v and 165r-193r. With an unidentified prose text outlining the development of civilization
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by one scribe in a neat italic for the text and a less formal hand for the commentary and for the unidentified text on ff. 193r-194v., Gold initials, 5-line, on blue, dark red and green grounds, with white and gold highlights, mark the beginning of each book. Small, plain initials, alternating red and blue, for each epigram. Commentary and titles, in various shades of red., Final folios creased and rubbed; some loss of marginal text due to trimming and wear., and Binding: 18th-19th centuries. Vellum case, blind-tooled.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Martial.
Subject (Topic):
Epigrams, Latin, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Scholia, and Verse satire, Latin
Manuscript on parchment of Justinus, Epitome in libros Pompeii Trogi. Portions of the text in the first gathering are lacking; some leaves are misbound
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in neat italic by a single scribe who also added frequent marginal notes., One fine 6-line initial (f. 1r), gold, with white-vine ornament, on blue, pink, and green ground decorated with white, gold, and blue dots extending into side and upper margins, the vines inhabited by birds, insects, and putto; gold dots and brown hairsprays. A coat of arms in lower margin (effaced and blotted out) supported by a winged putto, set in ornament similar to above. Large blue capitals, 5- to 4-line, in blue, throughout. Headings and Roman numerals for books (in upper margin of recto), in red, for ff. 1r-35r., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Citron goatskin, gold-tooled, by C. Lewis; his note regarding binding, in Latin, on f. ii recto.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Justinus, Marcus Junianus. and Trogus, Pompeius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval and Manuscripts, Medieval
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
In Latin and Greek., Script: Written by several scribes using various scripts, ranging from humanist minuscule to gothic bastarda and bookhand., Some initials and headings in red. Initial and marginal ornamentation on f. 15r in pink, yellow, and olive green. Marginal design on f. 16v in violet and yellow. Ornate pen initials on f. 158r, 207r, and 229r. Smaller initials and rubrics in violet and red throughout., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Half leather over boards.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Dedication to Ferdinand of Aragon and to his son Alphonse, Duke of Calabria. 2) Dialogue between Lazarelli and his Muse. 3) Books 1-3 on methods of counting time, moveable feasts, the ages of the world, the Jewish patriarchs, popes (the latest, Paul II, 1464-71), etc. 4) Calendar of moveable feasts in 1476 and November-June of 1477. 5) Books 4-16, March through February, and final book entitled Iudicium. 6) Calendar, March through February, with two series per month, the first with Christian feasts, the second with agricultural, zodiacal and historical (Roman and Jewish) information. 7) Thirteen poems by others in honor of Lazarelli. Eleven poets are represented; most of those identified are associated with the Accademia Pomponiana in Rome in the 1480's.
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in well formed humanistic script below the top line., Eighteen miniatures, the final six sketched in but unfinished, by an accomplished artist whose identity remains uncertain. The miniatures are usually framed in a pink or mauve egg-and-dart molding and a thin gold band. Dedicatory inscription in gold Roman letters on a marble-patterned panel appears on f. 7r. One historiated initial, below inscription, 10-line, of the author at work: gold, edged in black, against a purple and pink quartered ground with pink and purple filigree; all framed in green. In lower margin, supported by putti, is the coat-of-arms of Ferdinand of Aragon, King of Naples., Four initials all'antica, ff. 1r, 70r, 102r, 222v, 14- to 7-line, gold, black, purple, pink, orange and green with flowers and acanthus. Ten white-vine initials, ff. 45r, 58r, 88v, 115r, 137v, 155v, 170v, 182r, 200r and 213v, 10- to 8-line, colors as above. Numerous 4- to 2-line initials, gold, darkly edged in black, on orange-, pink-, and blue-flecked grounds, with guide-letters; some with faces drawn in interior. 2- and 1-line initials, gold, red, and blue with acanthus serifs. 1-line paragraph marks red or blue. Running titles in yellow, red, and blue. Rubrics in margins in red, blue, and purple. KL monograms, 3-line, yellow, red, and blue., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Worn red velvet case.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Lazarelli, Ludovico.
Subject (Topic):
Calendars, Chronology, Church calendar, Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Fasts and feasts, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
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