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Part. 1. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission to Vincenzo Donà as "Comes" of Lesina (now Hvar) issued by Leonardo Loredan (doge, 1501-21) . The initials "V.D." on either side of the Donà shield, barry of 6 azure and or, a chief argent (Rietstap, vol. 2, pl. 214, but lacking the charge in chief). Script: First 4 lines of text in gold square capitals; remainder, recto and verso, in an italic hand. Decoration: Full illuminated border on the recto with medallions of St. Mark's lion, allegorical figures, St. Vincent Ferrer, rabbits. In the lower margin, a later hand has written "Joannes Bellinus 1515." Assigned Date: s. XVI1/4. Part 2. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Marcello, azure a bend wavy or (Rietstap, vol. 4, pl. 139 ; also on art. 23), and another coat of arms, unidentified, or on a bend sable, a bendlet lozengy argent. Blank on the verso. Decoration: The appointee being presented to the Virgin and Child by St. Nicholas. Assigned Date: s. XVI. Part 3. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. No arms. Blank on the verso. Decoration: St. Nicholas presents the appointee to the Virgin and Child, while a male figure hands his commission to him. Part. 4. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms, apparently of Falier, quarterly, 1 or, 2 azure (although here it appears very dark), 3 and 4 argent (here very dark, perhaps oxidized: Rietstap, vol. 2, pl. 299 ). Blank on the verso, although notes in Huntington files state that it once had on the back a printed hymn and prayer, with engraved medallion portrait of Francis de Paola, signed "Zuliani F.". Decoration: The appointee kneels before the Virgin who supports the dead Christ; behind the appointee are twins (?) in court dress, holding checkered oval objects. Possibly by the same artist as in Parts 23, 25, and 26. Part 5. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms, apparently of Bolano, per fess or and azure, on a bend gules, a bendlet argent; also on Part 29. Blank on the verso. Decoration: The Virgin and blessing Child look upon the appointe who is being presented by a saint in Dominican robes, holding fetters, possibly the blessed Antonio Neyrot. Part 6. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Tron, per fess or, 3 fleurs-de-lis on thrones gules, and barry of 6 or and gules (Rietstap, vol. 6, pl. 52 , but without the 3-step "thrones" supporting the fleurs-de-lis). Blank on the verso. Decoration: The appointee, wearing a black surcoat, is being presented by a male saint holding a palm tree and a globe, to the Virgin and blessing Child. Part 7. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Leoni, azure, a lion rampant or, on a bend or 3 roses gules (Rietstap, vol. 4, pl. 48 ; also on Part 28). Blank on the verso. Decoration: Mark, seated with the lion at his feet, hands he commission to the appointee; a vision of the Virgin and Child appears in the sky; though the open window, in the background, a ship sailing towards an island. Part. 8. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Possibly the arms of Taiapiera, although damaged, or, on a bend azure a bendlet nebuly (Rietstap, vol. 6, pl. 2 , although in the manuscript the colors are reversed). Blank on the verso. Decoration: The appointee stands before a vision of Christ in the aperture of clouds in the sky. Part 9. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission from Alvise Mocenigo (doge, 1570-77) to Andrea Pesaro as Commissioner to Zante (now Zakinthos); Pesaro arms, per pale indented or and azure (Rietstap, vol. 5, pl. 40 ). Script: Italic. Decoration: The appointee kneels before the Virgin and Child, as the Child holds the scepter towards him. Assigned Date: s. XVI2. Part 10. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission from Niccolò da Ponte (doge, 1578-85) to Francesco Duodo as Captain of Brescia; Duodo arms, gules, on a bend argent 3 fleurs-de-lis azure (Rietstap, vol. 2, pl. 238 ); also on Parts 20 and 22. Script: Square capitals in gold; Humanistic script (imitative). Decoration: The appointee receives a plam leaf from a female saint holding a pine cone, while gazing up at a vision of the Holy Spirit. Assigned Date: s. XVI4/4. Part 11. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. No arms. Decoration: A triumphal cart drawn by 2 lions and driven by a woman holding sword and scaales, representing Justice, while another figure holding Cross and Chalice gazes upwards at the Holy Spirit; other figures surround them. Part 12. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms effaced. Blank on the verso. Decoration: The appointee kneels before the Crucifixion, while a young man dressed in blue places the scepter in his hands; Francis of Assisi stands behind him. Allegorical medaillons in the border labelled Obedientia, Umiltà, Stabilità, Eternità (?), Resolutione, Constantia. Part 13. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Marino Grimani (doge, 1595-1605) to A[lvi]se Muazzo to serve an office in "detta città nostra": the text has been scraped and is only partially legible; Muazzo arms, per fees or and azure a fleur-de-lis counter-changed (Rietstap, vol. 4, pl. 257 ); also on Part 15. Attributed to Giovanbattista Zelotti. Script: Square capitals in gold; Italic. Decoration: Venice, represented allegorically as an eleganti clad queen, hands the commission to the appointee, as a vision of God the Father appears in the sky. By the same person who made the attribution of artist for Part 1; the note here reads "Zilotti" presumably in reference to Giovanbattista Zelotti (ca. 1526-1578) rather than to Bernardo Zilotti (ca. 1730-1780). Assigned Date: s. XVI/XVII. Part. 14. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Unidentified arms, barry of 6 argent and gules, an eagle displayed gules. Blank on the verso. Decoration: Allegorical female figures, the central one holding a flaming vessel; medallions in the border (as in Part 12), representing Virtù, Concordia, Felicità, Pace, Clementia, Sapientia. Part 15. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Pasquale Cicogna (doge, 1585-95) to __?___ Muazzo as Podestà of A__?___a: the text has been scraped and is only partially legible. Muazzo arms as on Part 13. Decoration: The appointee and the allegorical representation of Venice adore a vision of the Crucifixion. The attribution is in the same hand as that of the person who made attributions of artist to Parts. 1 and 13. Assigned Date: s. XVIex. Part 16. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Corner, per pale or and azure, an eagle displayed sable (Rietstap, vol. 2, pl. 128 ). Blank on the verso. Decoration: The figure of Venice rises from the lagoon and is crowned by a cherub, while Christ leans down from the clouds to point at the Doge's Palace and the Piazzetta San. Marco. Part 17. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Two coats of arms, unidentified: on the left, argent, a lion rampant holding a fleur-de-lis (tincture uncertain), and on the right, gules, a mullet of 6 points or between 2 serpents (?) erect combatant. Blank on the verso. Decoration: The allegory of Justice sits with one foot on the globe, attended by 2 women supporting shields with coats of arms. Part 18. [Dogale]. 1 leaf. Latin. Space for St. Mark's lion at the top of the border, and that for the arms of the appointee at the bottom are painted brown. Blank on the verso. Decoration: Justice seated on the lion, rests her foot on the globe. Part 19. [Dogale]. 1 leaf. Latin. Commission from Niccolò da Ponte (doge, 1578-85) to Daniele Foscarini as "Locotenens" of Udine. Foscarini arms, or a bend lozengy azure (Rietstap, vol. 2, pl. 347 ). Script: Square capitals; Humanistic; Italic. Decoration: Justice, with her foot on the globe, sits between Truth and Temperance (?). Part 20. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Duodo, as on arts. 10 and 22, and the inscription: "Procurator creatus anno 1587 28 Martii anno aetatis suae LXVIII mens VI." Blank on the verso. In the border are the arms of Corfù (now Kerkyra), Udine, Padua, Brescia, Bergamo and the Procuratia. Decoration: Christ Triumphant appears before the appointee; in the background the sea and a red ship are visible. Part 21. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms, apparently of Fesso, azure, 2 bendlets or. On the verso, the space for the heading with the doge's name and the text space for the appointee's name have been left blank, although in the same hand as the rest of the text, the designation of office (Podestà) and of place (Treviso) have been inscribed. Decoration: Justice standing in an architectural niche (of simple execution). Part 22. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Pietro Loredan (doge, 1567-70) to Francesco Duodo as Podestà of Bergamo. Duodo arms as on Parts 10 and 20; inscription: "Non nobis domine non nobis gloria tibi soli." Decoration: Shield held by Justice, and beside her 2 women hold the shields of Bergamo and Udine, while Neptune supports that of Corfù (Kerkyra). Assigned Date: s. XVI3/4. Part 23. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission from Alvise Mocenigo (doge, 1570-77) to Giovan Marcello as Commissioner and Captain of Legnago and Porto (in the province of Verona). Marcello arms as on Part 2. Script: Square capitals; Italic. Decoration: John the Baptist presenting the appointee to Mark who hands him his commission; in the center, a vision of Christ Triumphant. Possibly by the same artist as in Parts 4, 25, and 26. Part 24. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. No arms, possibly because the painting has been severely trimmed and no border remains. Blank on the verso. Decoration: Judith, still holding the sword, places the severed head of Holofernes in a bag held by a servant. Part 25. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Alvise Mocenigo (doge, 1570-77) to Girolamo Mocenigo as "Locotenens" of Udine. No arms, although the 2 5-petalled blue flowers set into the top of the architectural border may indicate Mocenigo, per fess azure and argent, a rose counterchanged (Rietstap, vol. 4, pl. 219 ); see arts. 26 and 30. Inscription: "Anno II Magnae Navalis Victoriae Dei Gratia contra Turcas [sic] M D LXXII," referring to the battle of Lepanto. Decoration: Venice crowned by Mark. Possibly by the same artist who painted Parts 4, 23 and and 26. Part 26. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Mocenigo, as in Parts 25 and 30. Inscription: "Cum esset annorum quinquaginta magistratumque gereret sapientis terre firme electus fuit locumtenens Utini." Blank on the verso. Decoration: The kneeling appointee in purple robes receives book from a pope, at whose sides stand a doge and a king (representing Pius V, Alvise Mocenigo and Philip I of Spain?) Possibly by the same artist as in Parts 4, 23 and 25. Part 27. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. No arms. Blank on the verso. Decoration: An allegorical figure in armor stands on a pedestal, with Truth and Justice on either side. Part 28. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Niccolò da Ponte (doge, 1578-85) to Jacopo Leoni as Podestà and Captain of Capodistria. Leoni arms as on Part 7. Decoration: Virgin and Child, rather coarsely done. Part 29. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Bolano, as on Part 5. Blank on the verso. Decoration: St. Mark's lion stands with 2 feet on the water and 2 on land; the saints on either side are Anthony abbot and Mark; the painting is of mediocre quality. Part 30. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Pietro Lando (doge, 1539-45) to Andrea Mocenigo as Podestà of Padua. Mocenigo arms as in Parts 25 and 26. Decoration: The Virgin and Child are in the center between Elizabeth and John the Baptist; Jerome and Andrew in medallions in the border. Script and style of decoration are the same as those in Part. 31. Assigned Date: s. XVI2/4. Part 31. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission from Pietro Lando (doge, 1539-45) to Gaspare Raineri as Commissioner of Asolo. Raineri arms, per pale, argent, a chevron sable counter-changed (Rietstap, vol. 5, pl. 122 , which, however, is argent and vert). Decoration: The appointee kneeling before the Virgin and Child; Mary Magdalene (?) in a medallion in the border. Part 32. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission from Marcantonio Trevisan (doge, 1553-54) to Francesco Pisani as Podestà of Treviso. Pisani arms, per fess, azure and argent a lion rampant counterchanged (Rietstap, vol. 5, pl. 62). Decoration: Christ blesses the kneeling appointee, who is presented by John the Baptist; in the background, Piazzetta San Marco. Assigned Date: s. XVImed. Part 33. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Commission of Girolamo Priuli (doge, 1559-67) to Agostino Bembo as "Comes" of Traù (now Trogir). Bembo arms, azure, a chevron or, 3 roses or (Rietstap, vol. 1, pl. 173); also on Part 36. Decoration: In an architectural niche 2 figures embrace; below, in the inscription, "Iustitia et Pax Osculatae sunt" and "Virtutis Illustris Comes Benefactorum Merces." Part 34. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. No arms. Blank on the verso. Decoration: A bishop kneels in adoration before the Virgin and Child; the Child is holding a gold cross. Part 35. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Pasqualigo, barry of 6 or and argent (Rietstap, vol. 5, pl. 17, where the colors are or and azure); also on Part 37. Decoration: The figure of Justice hands her scales and sword to a man in classical dress with 2 lions. Part 36. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Bembo, as on Part 33. Blank on the verso. Decoration: The appointee receives his commission from a crowned Justice. Part 37. 1 leaf. [Dogale]. Latin. Arms of Pasqualigo, barry of 6 or and azure (Rietstap, vol. 5, pl. 17); also on Part 35. Blank on the verso. Decoration: A saint in classical dress hands his commission to the elderly appointee; out of a window an army is visible. Part 38. 4 cuttings. [Antiphonal fragments]. Latin. The cuttings, all from the same book, vary in size: 1) 170 x 150 mm; 2) 110 x 133 mm; 3) 115 x 117 mm; 4) 107 x 130 mm. Decoration: 4 historiated initials: Nativity; male saint with book and a knife (?); Presentation in the temple; Massacre of the Innocents. A modern hand on the second cutting offers the attribution to "Girolamo de Libri de Padua __?___." Assigned Date: s. XV. Title supplied by cataloger. The first 37 items are single leaves, all of which are front leaves from dogali (or, in Italian, ducali, i.e. commissions from the Venetian government to individual office holders), issued in Venice between 1500 and 1610; the last 4 items are cuttings from a single antiphonal, probably created between 1400 and 1499 in Lombardy. Input into Digital Scriptorium by: C. W. Dutschke, 1/11/2012. Cataloged from existing description: C. W. Dutschke with the assistance of R. H. Rouse et al., Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library (San Marino, 1989). Remounted and boxed in 1972. EL 9 H 13. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
The Bridgewater library of the Earls of Ellesmere was purchased privately by Henry Huntington in 1917 from Sotheby's through the negotiation of G. D. Smith. Please see link to full description for a more complete history of the collection.
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