Manuscript on parchment of Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, Books I (parts 1 and 2)-II, in an unidentified and freely adapted Italian translation (e.g., the opening portion of Book II is greatly abbreviated).
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written in an elegant, upright mercantesca script by a single scribe, below top line., Spaces for headings and decorative initials remain unfilled. Initial on f. 1r later addition., and Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. Sewn on four tawed skin, slit straps nailed in channels on the outside of wooden boards. Yellow edges. Pink, green and cream endbands sewn on five cores. Covered in dark red goatskin with corner tongues, blind-tooled with a central ornament in a panel bordered with rope interlace in concentric frames. Two fastenings, leaf-shaped catches on the lower board and the upper board cut in for the clasp straps. Rebacked twice.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Egypt
Subject (Name):
Diodorus, Siculus.
Subject (Topic):
History, Ancient, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on parchment of Part I: Excerpts from Seneca, Phaedra. Part II: Justinus, Epitoma historiarum Pompei Trogi
Description:
In Latin., Script: Part I (ff. 1-2, palimpsest): Written by several scribes in humanistic bookhand; for the passages from Seneca, the initial letter for each verse is set between vertical bounding lines. Part II (ff. 3-130): Written by a single scribe, below top line, in humanistic bookhand that sits somewhat above the ruled line; the conclusion of the text on ff. 129v-130r was added by a different hand., One large illuminated initial, f. 3r, 9-line, pink with white highlights on irregular angular ground, blue with white filigree and a thin white line outlining the ground. Filled with a stylized interlacing pattern of white vine-stem, white with green and yellow shading against gold ground. Numerous small initials, 3-line, yellow, on blue or blue and pink grounds with white filigree. Initial heading in gold; running headlines for book numbers in red., and Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy. Rigid vellum binding, gold-tooled. Traces of turn-ins and bosses from earlier binding on f. 130 and possibly on f. 1.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Justinus, Marcus Junianus. and Trogus, Pompeius.
Subject (Topic):
History, Ancient, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript fragment on parchment of Iustinus, Epitome historiarum Pompei Trogi, 20.1-3.
Description:
In Latin., Script: copied by one hand in early Caroline minuscule., The text on the recto opens with a half inset 5-line black Insular initial D, filled with yellow and its circumference at the inner and at the outer side decorated with red dots., and A vertical fold about the middle of the leaf has apparently caused the loss of a narrow section of the text on lines 1-6 and damage to all the subsequent lines; a large stain in the lower half of the leaf has also caused some damage to the text.
In Latin., Watermarks: (1) Scissors, Briquet?; Piccard, Werkzeug und Waffen IX, 1103-1199, 1328-1332?; (2) Anvil, Briquet?; Piccard?; (3) Hunting Horn, Briquet?; Piccard?., Script: Written by a single scribe in a small rapid Humanistica Cursiva under strong Gothic influence; the latter is especially visible in the forms of d and final s. Headings in Humanistica Textualis. The margins contain contemporary annotations in Humanistica Cursiva., The decoration is wanting. Space for 3-line initials was provided at the opening of Books II-XLIV and for larger initials at the beginning of the Prologue and of Book I. Guide letters for the initials are visible in the left margin. On f. 100v a coarse human head in profile has been drawn in pen and ink (15th century)., and Binding: Original half leather (red goatskin), heavy wooden boards, one clasp attached to the front cover. Spine (damaged) with three raised bands.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Iustinus. and Trogus, Pompeius.
Subject (Topic):
Classical literature, History, Ancient, and Manuscripts, Medieval
