Unattributed copy of Benedetto Cotrugli's treatise on ships and shipbuilding, composed in 1464-1465, including information on cartography, construction and use of the compass, types of ships, and meteorology and astronomy for use in navigation. Includes references to classical and medieval authors, which at the beginning of the manuscript are noted in the margins with red ink (f. 1v-4r). Dedicated to the doge (Cristoforo Moro, who served 1462-1471) and senate of Venice.
Language:
Italian
Provenance:
Formerly owned by Frederick North, fifth Earl of Guilford (armorial bookplate inside upper cover); sold as part of his collection at auction at Evans, 13 Dec. 1830, lot 563 (note on second flyleaf).; Formerly owned by English astronomer, mathematician, antiquarian, barrister, and numismatist John Lee (armorial bookplate inside upper cover); sold as part of his collection at auction at Sotheby's, 8 Nov. 1888, lot 266.; Offered for sale at auction at Sotheby's, 10 July 1968, lot 283.; Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 7 December 2004, lot 40, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.; Deposit by Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2011.; Gift of Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, 2019.; North, Frederick, Earl of Guilford, 1766-1827, former owner.; Lee, John, 1783-1866, former owner.
Relation:
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/ljs473.html; Collation model: http://repository.upenn.edu/sims_models/73; Video orientation: https://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/100000479
84 leaves : parchment and paper, color illustrations; 213 x 138 (152 x 70) mm bound to 222 x 152 mm
Geographic Subject:
Italy -- Venice; Mediterranean Region
Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Notes:
Ms. codex.; Title supplied by cataloger.; Table of contents: 1. f.1r-3r: [Preface]; Table of contents: 2. f.3v-27r: Descriptio totius orbis.; Table of contents: 3. f.28r-47r: [Types of ships and roles of officers]; Table of contents: 4. f.47r-72v: [Meteorology and astronomy]; Table of contents: 5. f.72v-80v: [Maps and cartography]; Foliation: Parchment and paper, ii (19th-century paper) + 84 + ii (19th-century paper); 1-4¹⁰ 5⁹(-1) 6⁹(-1) 7-8¹⁰ 9⁶; [1-84]; modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto.; Layout: Written in 30 long lines; vertical bounding lines ruled in blind visible on some leaves.; Script: Written in italic script.; Decoration: 3 colored diagrams (world map surrounded by concentric circles and zodiac signs, f. 8r; world divided into temperature zones surrounded by concentric circles, f. 12r; benches for rowers, f. 30v); 1 ink diagram (compass points, f. 49v); 3 astronomical tables in black and red (f. 66r, 66v, 68v); 1 three-quarter white vine-stem border with a 10-line illuminated initial in gold on gold with blue vines (f. 1r); 3 illuminated initials, 4 to 6 lines in height, in gold with white vine-stem ornamentation and extensions (f. 28r, 47r, 72v); 2-line initials in red or blue at the beginning of chapters; some marginal notes (f. 1v-4r) and headings throughout in red.; Binding: 19th-century English blind-tooled morocco, with marbled endleaves.; Origin: Written in northeastern Italy, probably Venice, in 1464 (f. 19v) and 1465 (f. 66v).; Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative.; Italian, with a preface in Latin.
Physical Location:
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Oversize LJS 473
Collection:
Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)
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