Manuscript on parchment of Livy, Ab urbe condita libri I-X.
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in round humanistic script., On f. 1r: the initial F historiated with a view of Rome, full-page illuminated border in gold and colors into which are introduced the Trivulzio arms of Milan (paly of 6, or and vert) and a set of unidentified arms (gules, a cross saltire sable). Initials of books, 8-line, of painted gold on background of blue, green and red, and partial floral border., Initial on f. 2r damaged by crease., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Brown leather, gold-tooled, edges marbled and gilt, rebacked, with T. LIVII DECAS PRIMA on spine.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Livy.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of Publius Vergilius Maro (70-19 B.C.), Aeneis, with the Argumenta of Books 1-12 ascribed to Ovid. Including Summary of Aeneis ascribed to Basilius, one of the Twelve Wise Men; Ps.-Vergilius, prologue to Aeneis; Six verses in praise of Mapheus Vegius (Maffeo Vegio, 1406-1458); Mapheus Vegius (Maffeo Vegio, 1406/7-1458), Book 13 of Aeneis; and Ps.-Octavianus Augustus, Poem in praise of Virgil's Aeneis
Description:
In Latin., Script: Copied by a single scribe writing a careful but somewhat unusual Humanistica Textualis Formata, with lengthened descenders at the bottom line., Very pale red rubrics and running numbering of the Books (on rectos, in Roman numerals); blue paragraph-marks; blue plain initials (2-3 lines) for the Argumenta; white vinestem initials (6 lines) with marginal extensions; on f. 5r (Book 1) 10-line white vinestem initial and full white vinestem border augmented with groups of three gold balls in the outer and lower margins; in the lower section a damaged coat of arms in a wreath, identified as argent, a fess azure., The lower margins of ff. 149, 181 and 192 have been cut and were replaced; in the first case this was done before writing; the upper and lower corners of the leaves are cut; ff. 1-14 have been repaired by pasting pieces of parchment to the damaged edges or corners. There is a triangular incision in the lower part of the outer edges in the large central section of the codex., and Binding: 1904 by Katharine Adams for Sydney Cockerell. Green pigskin over pasteboard; spine with five raised bands and the gold-tooled inscriptions "VERGILI / AENEIS / MS." and "NORTH ITALIAN / 1450". White parchment endleaves. Gilt edges. The preceding binding was purple morocco by Zaehnsdorf.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Virgil.
Subject (Topic):
Epic poetry, Classical, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin poetry, Medieval and modern, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Bible in the usual order with some prologues. 2) Index of Hebrew names generally attributed to Stephen Langton. 3) Chapters 25-29 of the Testament of the 12 Patriarchs. Written for Cardinal Niccolo Albergati
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in rounded gothic bookhand., The Bible is a splendid example of the Italian late gothic illuminated manuscript. The decoration consists of two very richly illuminated pages (f. 5r, Genesis; f. 272r, Psalms), thirteen small miniatures (ff. 1r, 570v-576v), and 79 historiated initials, 7 to 10-line (not including ascenders or descenders) at the beginning of every book of the Bible, the sections of the Psalter, and a few prologues. The miniatures are in thin gold or yellow frames. The historiated initials are composed of acanthus, mauve, blue, pink, orange, and/or green. At least four artists collaborated in the illustration and decoration of the codex. On virtually every folio, recto and verso, are elaborate bar borders, in margins and/or between text columns, full or half-length, gold, blue, green, pink, and/or orange with white filigree, some with curling acanthus, leafy midpoints and terminals with acanthus and hair-spray extension. On folios with miniatures or initials, more elaborate borders (full borders on ff. 1r, 5r): curling hair-spray with gold dots and trefoil leaves, spikey ivy, pink, blue, orange and green flowers, putti, insects, birds, grotesques and, on f. 348v, a marginal scene, lower left corner, a fowler chasing rabbits., Ornamental initials (5 to 6-line) at the beginning of the prologues in red, blue, orange, and/or green, acanthus infilled red with white filigree against irregular gold grounds; gold against cusped pink and blue backgrounds with white filigree; some rinceaux initials in Franco-Flemish style, pink or blue with white highlights against cusped gold grounds. 2 and 1-line initials, gold on red and blue grounds with white filigree. Running titles in alternating red and blue letters or in gold against red and blue rectangular grounds with white filigree. Line fillers (ff. 617r-682r) in red, blue and/or gold. Chapter numbers in red or blue. Rubrics throughout., First two leaves slightly creased., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. A painted design under the gilt fore edge. Red velvet binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Langton, Stephen, -1228.
Subject (Topic):
Versions, Vulgate, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment and paper, written in two parts. Part I (parchment, written ca. 1490): 1) John of Rupescissa, De consideratione quinte essentie. 2) Descriptions of various herbs. Part II (paper, added ca. 1800): 3) Alchemy. 4) Recipes for making Prussian Blue, in Italian
Description:
In Latin and Italian., Script: Part I (ff. 1-40): Written by one hand in a neat, minute humanistic cursive. Part II (ff. 41-52): In an Italian hand., Part I: Headings in red throughout, that on f. 1r overwritten in an intense red ink covering earlier writing in pale red ink, the intense ink then used for the remainder of the headings in this portion of the codex, and the overwriting probably by the original scribe. Plain, small, roman capitals at beginnings of sections of the text in blue or green; a large initial "D" and a full border no f. 1r, as well as a smaller initial "L" at the beginning of the second book of text, foot of f. 25r, all finely illuminated in gold and colors in the "white-vine" style, the lower part of the border on f. 1r with a coat of arms consisting of a shield azure, a bear rampant or. Part II: Undecorated., and Binding: Late eighteenth century, probably French. Speckled calf, the sides undecorated, the repaired back in compartments with gilt tooling, the original title-stamping defective, speckled edges; restored by Carolyn Horton, November 1955.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy, Formulas, recipes, etc, Herbs, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Prussian blue
Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of 1) Tacitus, Annales XI-XVI. 2) Tacitus, Historiae I-V. Possibly written for Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria, King of Naples
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by two scribes; Scribe 1) ff. 1r-126r in a neat, slightly rounded gothic bookhand; Scribe 2) ff. 126v-218v, in a neat humanistic bookhand., Full border, f. 1r, attributed to Nicola Rapicano: white vine, infilled blue, red, and green, with white dots; framed and divided into panels by thin gold bands, the inner frame with a second band in two shades of purple, with white highlights. Outer and lower margins divided by band of fruit, in the outer margin, black with gold highlights, in the lower margin, red with green and gold highlights; divided into sections and at corners by English frets, infilled blue or green with white dots. In center of outer margin, a medallion after a classical coin or cameo, bust of a man in profile with a laurel wreath against a blue ground with fine white filigree; in center of lower margin, coat of arms of Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria, King of Naples (quarterly, first and fourth paly of 4 or and gules [Aragon], second and third argent, a cross potent sable [Calabria]), in a gold and purple quatrilobe frame, a gold diadem above, against a blue ground, as above, supported by four putti. Putti, birds (including a large peacock, center of inner margin), insects, and a bowl of fruit, symmetrically arranged in corners and around swags, often overlapping or passing behind decorative elements. Both inner and outer frame broken by text and marginalia, suggesting that the border is a later addition. Two lines of gold capitals open the text on f. 1r. On f. 136v, a 5-line white vine initial, gold, infilled red, green, and blue, against a blue ground, of inferior execution compared to f. 1r. Two 3-line initials, ff. 25v and 40v, gold or blue with purple or red penwork; each with guide-letters for illuminator., and Binding: Between 1890 and 1900, or 20th century. Dark brown goatskin, blind-tooled with rope work interspersed with copper colored dots in Italian style (15th century) by Leon Gruel (active under his own name between 1891 and 1923).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Alfonso II, King of Naples, 1448-1495. and Tacitus, Cornelius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin prose literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of Andrea Vendramin, Doge of Venice (1476-1478), Commission (dogale) to Girolamo Michiel as governor of Asolo, near Treviso
Description:
In Latin., Script: Art. 1 is copied by one hand in a narrow Humanistica Cursiva Libraria, art. 2 by a hand writing Humanistica Cursiva Currens., On f. 1r white vinestem initial (6 lines) with long extensions in the upper and left margins; in the lower margin partial border in white vinestem, containing three medallions: the two outer ones feature the initials “I” and “M” in gold on a blue background; the larger, central one contains the coat of arms of Girolamo Michiel on a purplish red background in a green wreath., and Unbound.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., Asolo (Italy), and Venice (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Vendramin, Andrea, 1392-1478.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Politics and government
Manuscript on parchment of Caesar, Bellum Gallicum, translated into Italian by Pier Candido Decembrio in 1438. With Dedication of the translation to Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written below top line in a bold round humanistic hand by a single scribe who added extra rulings in outer margins for headings, annotations, etc., in red. Additional annotations in humanistic cursive, in a brighter shade of red., Elegant illuminated title page (f. 2v) with the title, written in blue over an erasure, in a circular wreath, green with gold flowers, and framed by narrow gold bands with fillets and inkspray issuing from the top and bottom with blue and deep red flowers, green leaves and gold balls. Full border, f. 1r, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green, deep red and gold ground between thin gold frames. In lower border, medallion, blank, framed by wreath, green with yellow highlights and narrow deep red frame. Partial border, f. 3r, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green and deep red ground between narrow gold frames, enlarged to elongated dots at terminals; white vine-stem ornament extends into upper (trimmed) and lower margins, with single gold balls with hair-line strokes. 8 large initials, 11- to 3-line, gold on blue, green, gold and deep red ground with white vine-stem ornament shaded with pale pink. First few words of each book in gold; incipits, explicits and marginalia in red., and Binding: Date? Italy. Vellum case with title in ink on spine: "Cesare Comment". Gilt, gauffered edges and gold and cream silk endbands. Fragments of a printed service book with musical notation partially visible under pastedowns.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Caesar, Julius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History, Military
Manuscript on paper (watermarks in gutter) of 1) Petrarch, Boccacii Griseldis historia. 2) Pope Pius II, Epistola. 3) Petrarch, Famil. rerum., 12, 2. 4) Pope Pius II, Bulla retractationum. 5) Pope Pius II, Epistola de fortuna
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by three scribes in similar styles of informal gothic scripts (batarde influence). Scribe 1) ff. 1r-7r; 2) ff. 7v-14v; 3) ff. 15r-26v., One calligraphic initial, f. 1r, 4-line, blue with white floral motifs; infilled with red penwork floral designs tinted with green; penwork trails into inner margin, with plain green dots. Four initials, ff. 1v, 7v, 10v, 21v, red ink, 6- to 2-line. Paragraph marks in red. Numerous capitals stroked in red; rubrics throughout; explicits underlined in red., and Binding: Twentieth century. Vellum spine (verso of an unidentified manuscript) with "Petrarcae et Aeneae Silvii Epistoles" inscribed; grey-blue paper sides.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Papal documents
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of Gaspare Zacchi, Bononiensium res publica. Most probably the dedication copy, sent by the author from Tivoli to the Signoria of Bologna on or soon after 29 Nov. 1471
Description:
The author (d. 1474) in 1450-1455, being protonotary of Volterra, was a member of Cardinal Bessarion's legation to Bologna. In 1460 he became bishop of Osimo. At the time he wrote the present treatise he was prefect of Tivoli ("Arx Tiburtina")., In Latin., Script: Copied by a single scribe writing Humanistica Cursiva Formata very close in aspect to Humanistica Textualis, with relatively numerous and unusual abbreviations. A second hand, probably the author, has corrected the scribe's errors., The headings and "Finis" on f. 9r are written in Capitalis in pale red ink. The nine chapters open with a plain initial alternately blue and pale red. Between two chapters one line is left free. The Prologus (f. 2r-v) opens with a 3-line gold initial on a blue-red-green rectangular background decorated with white and gold penwork. The body of text opens on f. 3r with a 5-line white vinestem initial with full-length marginal extension. F. 1v contains the coat of arms of the city of Bologna, f. 10r the coat of arms of the author, both in full colour., and Binding: Early nineteenth century by Rene Simier (d. 1826). Citron morocco over pasteboard, both covers with delicate gold-tooled frame, the spine gold-tooled, with gold-tooled title "GASP. / RESP." and binder's signature at the foot "REL. P(ar) SI.". Gilt edges. Grey marbled endpapers.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Bologna (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Zacchi, Gaspare.
Subject (Topic):
Didactic literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Politics and government
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
