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 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 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 parchment of an anonymous Italian translation of Giordano Ruffo, Liber marescalcia equorum, as well as recipes for various equine illnesses and schematic drawings of bits
Description:
In Italian., Script: main text copied by one hand in Southern Gothica Textualis Libraria., Capitals and headings in red in main text. Diagrams of various bits for horses on ff. 39v and 40r., and Binding: S. XX binding: plain parchment over cardboard.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Rufus, Jordanus, fl. ca. 1225-1250.
Subject (Topic):
Horses, Italian literature, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of Agogo Mago, Libro medesynal delli spariueri
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by a single scribe in a neat humanistic bookhand., One gold initial (f. 1r), 7-line, filled and surrounded by white-vine ornament, on a dark blue, dark red, and dark green ground, with pale yellow dots; extends into inner and upper margins. In lower margin an unidentified coat of arms (or, on a chief azur a parrot vert beaked gules) in a laurel wreath; accompanied by gold balls, hair-sprays, and simple floral patterns. Four initials, 6- to 4-line, in blue with red penwork designs or red with purple; plain capitals alternating red and blue throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown goatskin, gold-tooled.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Mago, Agogo.
Subject (Topic):
Game and game-birds, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, Medicine, and Medicine, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (thick) of Giordano Ruffo, Marescalcia equorum, translated into Italian
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks: unidentified basilisk in gutter., Script: Written in fere-humanistic script., Crudely executed border design, in red, on f. 1r. Plain initials, 3- to 2-line, in red; some embellished with simple foliate ornamentation or with human and animal grotesques (e.g., ff. 24v, 44v). Headings in red., Upper portion of f. 55 (chs. 146, 149) cut out; ff. 63v-64r (chs. 189-95) crossed out. Some staining and wear affecting text., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. Tan, "pasta espanola" paper case.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Ruffo, Giordano.
Subject (Topic):
Horses, Italian literature, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Giordano Ruffo, Marescalcia equorum, in an anonymous Italian translation. With medicinal recipes and prayers
Description:
In Italian., Watermark: unidentified bull's head in gutter., Script: Written in a poorly formed Italian notarial script; notes in contemporary cursive hands., Plain initial, 5-line, in red and black, at beginning of art. 1; initial strokes and rubrics for ff. 1r-9v only., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Limp vellum case. Stamped on upper cover: "Medecine des chevaux/ manuscrit du XV siecle".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Ruffo, Giordano, fl. 1250-1260.
Subject (Topic):
Horses, Italian literature, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Medicine, Medieval
Manuscript on paper. Includes notes on arithmetic and accounting for merchandise; a romance of Tristan; list of spices; astronomical and astrological information; charms and prayers; recipes; extracts in Venetian; and poems
Description:
In Italian and Latin., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Fruit 7372-76, Briquet Cheval 3564, and Briquet Fruit 7341., Script: Written by a single scribe in a neat notarial hand, through f. 67v. Notes added by various hands of 14th-15th centuries., Drawings of ships, towers and merchants in ink, with added yellow, brown, green, red and blue; many diagrams. Crude 2- and 1-line initials in red, with guide-letters for rubricator showing beneath; headings in red., Repair of f. 1 with later paper; some loss of text. Repairs at outer edges on this and other folios do not affect text., and Binding: 18th-19th centuries. Rigid vellum case with paste paper back endleaf and pastedowns. Central fold of each bifolium has been reinforced with a strip of parchment.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Venice (Italy)
Subject (Topic):
Accounting, Arithmetic, Astrology, Astronomy, Medieval, Formulas, recipes, etc, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, Merchants, Prayers, Tristan (Legendary character), and Economic conditions