Huth, Henry, 1815-1878, former owner Huth, Alfred Henry, 1850-1910, former owner Huth Library, former owner Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Manuscript. HM 1548
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Description
f. 1: [Portolan atlas] Nautical chart of the Mediterranean area, including Europe with British Isles and part of Scandinavia, probably made in northeastern Italy (Venice?), judging from linguistic characteristics, and possibly before 1492, since map appears to precede Spanish reconquest of Granada. Span folios: f. 1r-v. Support: Parchment (full skin). Layout: Borders are triple ruled in black and red on top and bottom only. Land masses outlined in black ink (Ireland overtraced in green, Scotland in pale red, traces of ocher on other coasts) with islands painted gold, green, red or blue; no compass roses, instead the symbols for the 4 principal directions are inscribed on two rhumb line intersections, one on the upper and one on the right sides; several rhumb line patterns, some with 32 lines, many only partial; a simple latitude scale numbered from 24° to 54° N (scale appears to have been added later since it is drawn over portions of islands in the Atlantic and seems to be in another hand), no longitude; 2 unnumbered scales of distance (drawn in conjunction with upper and lower borders); simple decoration with a few vignettes of cities, banners, and one large figure, little color. Input into Digital Scriptorium by: C. W. Dutschke, 1/13/2012. 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); Unbound: formerly mounted on a roller, now flattened in a modern portfolio. HM 1548. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
Nautical charts--Early works to 1800 World maps--Early works to 1800 Portolanos Italy 15th century. (aat) Manuscripts (documents) (aat)
Source
Manuscripts, Huntington Digital Library
Provenance
Sold in 1867 by Henry Stevens (1791-1867) to Henry Huth, The Huth Library (1880), pt. 4, 1171. Sale of Alfred Henry Huth, Sotheby's, 11 July 1917, pt. VI, n. 5913 to G. D. Smith for Henry E. Huntington.
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