Manuscript on paper made by an unknown Venetian mathematician, astronomer and cartographer. This manuscript is highly interesting for the excellent drawings of contemporary Mediterranean sailing-ships
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by one hand in Gothico-Humanistic Cursive, which in the maps alternates with Capitalis. Headings in Capitalis inscribed on scrolls or tablets., Maps, borders and decorations in colours. Clumsily drawn human and animal figures., and Binding: Original limp vellum. On the spine is written "G***ctrica MSS". On the rear cover are a pen-drawing, upside-down, of the same decorative device as on f. 2r, and a sketch of city gates.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Islands of the Mediterranean.
Subject (Topic):
Atlases, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscript maps, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Sailing ships
Manuscript on paper (trimmed) of 1) Alphabetical index. 2) Extract from Petrarca, Africa, VI, 885-918. 3) Petrarca, Canzoniere. 366 poems. 4) Transcription of a note on the front flyleaf of the Virgil manuscript copied by Petrarch, Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS S.P. Arm. 10, scaf. 27. 5) Petrarca, Trionfi
Description:
In Italian., Script: Copied by one hand writing an unusual and upright form of Humanistica Cursiva Libraria, marked by a conspicuous shape of r; a second hand copied the replacement leaves 108 and 109, and a third hand copied f. 149r-v; both using the same type of script., Pale red headings (the one on f. 9r in Capitalis), subscriptions and plain initials (Capitalis). On f. 9r (beginning of art. 3) splendid 5-line trompe-l'oeil initial in Veneto-Paduan style in the shape of a square purple stone slab showing the letter V and plants in relief, slightly damaged., A section in the middle of ff. 85 and 86 is missing and has been replaced by pieces of paper written by a contemporary hand, and Binding: Seventeenth century. Limp parchment with two modern leather ties. On the spine the inscription in ink: "Petrar** Manuss***".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian poetry, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (watermarks: unidentified mountain) and parchment (inner and outer bifolios, of poor quality) of Boccaccio, De claris mulieribus; translated into Italian by Donato degli Albanzani
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by three persons in round gothic script: Scribe 1, ff. 1r-33v (except f. 8, replaced in 16th century); Scribe 2, ff. 33v-36v; Scribe 3; ff. 37r-74r. In portions written by Scribes 1 and 2 some elaborate ascenders and descenders in upper and lower margins, touched with red., Initials, 3- to 2-line, in red or blue, sometimes with red penwork. Rubrics throughout. Initial added [date?], f. 2v, to replace one removed: blue, with leafy filler in green outline, and foliage extending down margin and across top and bottom of column, drawn in green, red, and blue., Initial removed from f. 2v; leaf was then reinforced with paper covering f. 2r, col. b (blank). Lower margins of ff. 1, 33 and 37 cut off., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. Vellum spine and fore-edge strip with marbled paper sides. Label on spine: "Donne Illust. del Boccacc. MS".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Benedetto Cotrugli (Benedictus de Cotrullis, c. 1410-1469), De navigatione liber (Della navigazione). After the prologue in Latin addressed to the Doge and the Senate of Venice, the author, quoting countless Biblical, ancient, medieval and Renaissance authors and drawing largely on his own experience, discusses the oceans and seas, islands, ports, the history of ship-building and navigation, weather, and astronomy. At the end, he includes portolano maps and describes the coast of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Description:
The author, born in Ragusa (Dubrovnik), was a businessman and humanist, from 1451 onwards in favour at the Court of Naples. His Della mercatura e del mercante perfetto, written in 1458, was for a long time considered his only surviving work. Our manuscript, written during his lifetime and no doubt under his supervision or by his hand, is the only existing manuscript of Della navigazione and it is unfinished, missing most of its illustrations and the end of the text., In Italian., Script: Written by one hand in Humanistica Cursiva close to Humanistica Textualis. Headings and opening words of chapters in pale red capitals., Heightening of majuscules and paragraph marks in pale red up to f. 10r. Space for 2- or 3-line initials at the opening of all chapters, the initials not executed. Illustration largely missing; the few that have been executed are crudely drawn., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Yellowish parchment over cardboard. Marbled paste-downs.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Cotrugli, Benedetto, d. 1468.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Medieval, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Manuscript maps, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Navigation
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Dante Alighieri, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata. 2) Bosone de' Raffaelli da Gubbio, "Capitolo" on the Divine Comedy, in 64 terzine. 3) Iacopo Alighieri, "Divisione" of the Divine Comedy in 50 terzine (thus of the B group).
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written in round gothic script., Very fine initials and borders. Three historiated initials, each with a personification with attributes. Each initial with a full border of fleshy acanthus, blue, orange, olive green, pink, grey and gold, with tooling; birds in lower margin of ff. 1r and 54r; on f. 1r a coat-of-arms, in lower margin: azure, a chevron or, between two roses in chief argent, a mount of 6 in base argent, probably of the Bini family, Florence. 3-line initials, red or blue, with mauve or red penwork with long intricate flourishes often extending the length of the page. Opening text of Inferno adjacent to the initial of f. 1r in display capitals with penwork panels in brown ink. Capitals on the beginning of each stanza stroked in yellow. Rubrics throughout., and Binding: Sixteenth century. Sewn on five double supports attached to wooden boards. The spine is square with well defined bands and red and green endbands. Covered in dark brown goatskin, blind-tooled in mudejar style in two sets of concentric frames; DO.IOAN.DE gold-tooled in the center of one, BORGA in the other. Trace of two fastenings. Gilt edges. Restored.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321. and Dominicans
Subject (Topic):
Manuscripts, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian poetry, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Scholia
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 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 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 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