Liber canonis

Contributor:

Gherardo, da Cremona, 1113 or 1114-1187 (translator)

Name:

Avicenna, 980-1037

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1250

Description:

Sections from Books 1 and 2 of Avicenna's 11th-century comprehensive medical work, as translated into Latin in the 12th century by Gherardo da Cremona. Book 1 addresses medicine generally; the section in the manuscript is from the first treatise and concerns the four elements. Book 2 is devoted to materia medica. A few small stemmata are drawn in the lower margins in Book 1(f. 3r-4r), and marginal notes and headings appear throughout, with marginal chapter numbers in the section from Book 2 (f. 12r-17v). Repairs to the centers of leaves in the section from Book 1, with vellum patches and text supplied in the first half of the 14th century (f. 5-11; Quaritch).

Language:

Latin

Provenance:

Possible 18th- or 19th-century ownership inscriptions: John Church (f. 13v); William Clarke (f. 18v).; Sold by Bernard Quaritch Ltd., cat. 1270 (2000), no. 7, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.; Deposit by Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2012.; Gift of Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, 2021.; Clarke, William, former owner.; Church, John, former owner.

Relation:

Video orientation: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/1502736; The Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative Fund Home Page: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366278; Digital facsimile for download (OPenn): https://openn.library.upenn.edu/Data/0001/html/ljs359.html; Collation model: http://repository.upenn.edu/sims_models/74

Subject:

Medicine -- Early works to 1800; Medicine; Medicine, Arab; Medicine, Medieval; Materia medica -- Early works to 1800; Materia medica

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

manuscripts (documents); codices (bound manuscripts); treatises; Manuscripts, Latin; Manuscripts, Medieval

Physical Description:

17 leaves : parchment; 284 x 210 (184 x 125) mm (Book 1); 287 x 213 (208 x 144) mm (Book 2)

Rights:

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

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title from opening rubric (f. 1r).; Table of contents: 1. f.1r-2v: [Preface and beginning of table of contents]; Table of contents: 1. f.3r-11v: [Section of Book 1]; Table of contents: 2. f.12r-17v: [Section of Book 2]; Collation: Parchment, i (modern paper wrapper) + 17 + i (modern paper wrapper); 1¹²(-1) 2² 3⁸(-4); columns numbered in an early hand, upper outer corners, 5-40 (Book 1, f. 3r-11v) and 351-354, 371-374, 347-350, 355-358, 367-370, 375-376, 378-379 (misnumbered for 377-378; Book 2, f. 12r-17v). Possible catchword on last verso (f. 17v). Link to collation model at end of record.; Layout: Written in 2 columns of 52 (Book 1) and 58 (Book 2) lines; frame-ruled in lead with double horizontal bounding lines in Book 1 and double vertical bounding lines in Book 2; prickings visible.; Script: Written in Gothic script by at least 2 hands (f. 1r-11v, 12r-17v); 14th-century Gothic script on repairs; 17th- and 18th-century pen trials and inscriptions (f. 12v, 13v, 17v).; Decoration: 6-line puzzle initial in red and blue with flourishing in red and blue (f. 1r); 1-line initials alternating between red and blue in the table of contents (f. 1r-2v); 2-line initials alternating between red and blue, with contrasting flourishes, in Book 1 (f. 3r-11v); running head L[iber] I in red and blue, sometimes with simple flourishes in the contrasting color (f. 1r-11v); underlining and rubrication in red throughout; manicules in brown and red ink throughout most of Book 1 (f. 3r-9r).; Binding: Sewn in modern paper wrapper.; Origin: Written in England between 1250 and 1299 (Quaritch).; Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative.; Latin.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Oversize LJS 359

Collection:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)