Scienza cabalistica... [etc.]

Contributor:

Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809 (former owner); Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817 (former owner)

Name:

Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1700

Description:

Collection of cabalistic texts that discuss numerology, ciphers, anagrams, and chiromancy with numerous tables and diagrams throughout.; 1. f.2r-17v: Scienza cabalistica. 2. f.19r-52v: Kabala triangolare di Abramo Auanez Ebreo. 3. f.54r-63r: Cabala Caldaica perfettissima. 4. f.64r-75v: Cabala angelica divina Salomonis in sepulchro Robohamis invenia. 5. f.77r-86r: Kabala chiromantica.

Language:

Italian

Provenance:

Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.; Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 591, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014.; Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.

Relation:

Unique at Penn blog post: https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Subject:

Anagrams -- Early works to 1800; Cabala -- Early works to 1800; Cabala; Ciphers -- Early works to 1800; Ciphers; Numerology -- Early works to 1800; Occultism -- Early works to 1800; Palmistry -- Early works to 1800; Palmistry; Occultism; Numerology; Anagrams

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices; Diagrams; Manuals (instructional materials); Manuscripts, Italian; Manuscripts, European

Physical Description:

87 leaves : paper; 211 x 148 (169 x 105) mm bound to 218 x 162 mm

Rights:

https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title from title page of first work (f. 2r).; Foliation: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 87 + i (contemporary paper); [1-87]; modern foliation in pencil, lower right recto.; Layout: Written in 22 long lines.; Script: Written in a semi-cursive script by a single hand.; Decoration: Pen and ink diagrams of hands for use in chiromancy (f. 77r-81v).; Binding: Contemporary parchment. Front and back pastedowns are detached from boards. Paper is stained due to mold and moisture damage, particularly the first and last few leaves.; Origin: Written in Italy in the 18th century.; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; Italian and Latin.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1680