Manuscript on paper of a collection of extracts primarily on virtues and vices.
Description:
Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. Strips cut from a parchment manuscript (text washed) are adhered around the fold of each quire. Original sewing on three kermes pink, slit straps. The parchment sides are sewn with the first and last quires., Large decorated initial, f. 2r, 16-line. Body of initial formed of intricate interlace bands, yellow and brown washes, against paper and yellow and brown ground; exhibits strong shading. Display script in red and blue. Rubrics (pale red) in text in humanistic bookhand., Script: Written in a calligraphic and sometimes flamboyant humanistic cursive script by a single scribe, below top line., and Watermarks: unidentified letter (?), in gutter.
In French., Four distinct watermarks: one resembles Piccard, vol. 2, IX 96 (Xanten, 1452), one resembles Piccard vol. 2, IX 182 or 190 (Rhine valley, 1470-1480 or Flanders, 1463-70), one closely resembles Briquet 9196 (St. Omer, 1491), and a fourth closely resembles Briquet 8992 or 8993 (Vaudrevange, 1499 and 1493, respectively)., Script: written by the author in a gothic bastarda script., Numerous full color illuminations of coats of arms. Ornate initials in black and red throughout. Rubricated., and Binding: heavy black cloth over boards made of early printed material. Several parchment manuscript fragments which were used in binding are visible in the spine. One contains 12th-century Caroline minuscule and the other contains a gothic bookhand of the 13th-14th century. Damaged, front board detached.
Manuscript on parchment of Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae (abridged).
Description:
Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. Sewn on three tawed skin, kermes pink slit straps nailed in channels on the outside of the wooden boards. Yellow edges. The plain wound endbands may have been resewn. The spine is lined with cloth. Covered in brown, originally tan, sheepskin with corner tongues. Blind-tooled with two rope interlace stars in a central panel bordered with concentric frames. Spine: bands outlined with double fillets; panels diapered with triple fillets. Two truncated diamond fastenings, the catches on the lower board (one wanting), the upper board cut in for straps attached with star-headed nails., Folio 1r with partial border in inner and lower margin (rubbed). Inner margin has scrolling vine, yellow, on parchment ground with red dots, with stylized foliage, flowers and fruit in green, red, purple and dove grey. Illuminated initial, 3-line, purple on dark green ground, is incorporated into border. In lower margin, wreathed medallion (unidentified mutilated arms: per pale, or and sable?) on pink ground, supported by two heraldic dragons, parchment colored (unfinished) against red ground. All of this decoration appears to be a later addition. Plain initials and headings in red., and Script: Written in fere-humanistic script by a single scribe, below top line.