Litterarum simulationis liber.; Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris

Abstract:

Presentation copy for Pope Callistus III of a work on cryptography that describes two systems: in the first, Italian words beginning with one letter are all represented by Italian words beginning with another letter; in the second, signs or symbols represent letters or entire Italian words (titles, city names, and numbers).

Creator:

Zopello, Michele.

Date:

1455

Description:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative.

Identifier:

9948179063503681; (OCoLC)ocn787857733; (OCoLC)787857733; (PU)4817906-penndb-Voyager

Language:

Latin; Italian

Provenance:

Sold at auction at Christie's, 26 June 1996, lot 19, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.; Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 20 June 1989, lot 49.; Illuminated for Pope Callistus III, between 1455 and 1458.; Sold by Martin Breslauer, 1989.; Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle in honor of Tina Skov Cowan, Director, Development & External Affairs, Penn Libraries, 2013.

Publisher:

[Rome?, Italy], [between 1455 and 1458]

Relation:

Video orientation http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/1338705; http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366278; Digital facsimile for download (OPenn) https://openn.library.upenn.edu/Data/0001/html/ljs225.html

Subject:

Cryptography.; Cryptography -- Early works to 1800.; Ciphers -- Early works to 1800.; Ciphers.; Codices (bound manuscripts); illuminations (visual works); Manuals (instructional materials); Treatises.; Manuscripts, Latin -- 15th century.; Manuscripts, Italian -- 15th century.; Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Form/Genre:

Manuscripts

Physical Description:

20 leaves : parchment, color illustrations; 223 x 150 (127 x 85) mm bound to 228 x 155 mm

Personal Name:

Callistus III, Pope, 1378-1458, dedicatee.; Gioacchino, di Giovanni, illuminator.

Corporate Name:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Rights:

https://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Notes:

Origin: Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III).; Decoration: 1 full-page white vine-stem (bianchi girari) border with 3 birds in the outer border and 2 putti with necklaces holding the arms of Pope Callistus III in the lower border (f. 1r) and 1 7-line initial in gold on a white vine-stem ground (f. 1r), illuminated by Gioacchino di Giovanni di Gigantibus of Rothenberg, Germany, a professional illuminator for the papal court from 1448 onward; 2-line initials in gold filled with green and/or pink throughout; rubrics in faint red ink.; Binding: Contemporary calf blind-stamped in the Florentine style (modo fiorentino), with an ornamental pattern based on Islamic ropework, over wooden boards, with remnants of 4 pairs of ties.; Title from opening rubric (f. 1r); alternate title, Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris, from early note inside front cover.; Collation: Parchment, i + 20 + i; 1⁵ 2⁵; catchword with simple ornamentation on last verso of first gathering (f. 10v).; Layout: Written in 24 long lines; ruled in lead, vertical bounding lines occasionally visible.; Script: Written in humanistic script.; Ms. codex.; Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r).

Physical Location:

LJS 225

Collection:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)