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Description
ff. 1-277v: [Bartholomaeus Anglicus, Livre des proprietes des choses; text preceded by a chapter list on ff. I-IX, the translator's prologue beginning on f. 1, and the author's prologue beginning on f. 2]: Rubric: Ci fault le prologue de l'acteur. Et commence le premier livre qui est de dieu et des noms divins qui sont dis de dieu. Incipit: En commensant a declairer aucunes choses des proprietes et des natures des choses tant espirituelles comme corporelles. Explicit: Theophile, Varro, Virgile. Ce livre des proprietes des choses fut translate de latin en francoys l'an de grace mil CCC lxxiii par le commandement de tres puissant Charles le quint de son nom regnant en ce temps en france puissaument. Et le translata son petit et humble chapelain frere iehan Corbechon de l'ordre saint Augustin maistre en theologie de la grace et promocion dudit prince et seigneur tresexcellent. Deo gratias. Livre des proprietes des choses, a translation of Bartholomaeus Anglicus' De proprietatibus rerum into French by Jean Corbichon. Written in France, possibly Britanny, in the first half of the fifteenth century. Span folios: ff. 1-277v. Support: Parchment. Layout: 1¹⁰(-1) 2-35⁸ 36⁶(-6). Catchwords in the hand of the text in the lower right margin; quire signatures in black ink in the lower left corner of the first recto: c-z and aa-oo (a and b presumably cropped); traces of quire and leaf signatures following the same sequence, in red ink in the lower right corners of leaves: f. 12, b.iiii; f. 84, 1.iiii; f. 177, y.i. 2 columns of 47 lines, ruled in ink; pricking visible in upper and lower margins. Written in a Bâtarde script. Decoration: Nineteen miniatures introducing each book, framed by simple burnished gold bands, with backgrounds often as feathery gold or silver rinceaux against black or dark pink grounds; opening miniature, f. 1, the width of both columns, ca. 200 x 160 mm., divided into 4 compartments; the roundel placed at the center of the 4 compartments contains a coat of arms; full border of black ink sprays, gold motifs and regularly placed, but sparse, colored acanthus leaves. Remaining miniatures, the width of one column, 19- to 13-line height. Initials for books, 7- to 3-line, in white-patterned blue or pink, infilled with colored trilobe leaves on a gold base; chapter initials, 4- to 1-line, alternating blue with red penwork or red with blue; alternating red and blue paragraph marks; rubrics throughout. Input into Digital Scriptorium by: C. W. Dutschke, 8/21/2012. Bound in 18th century French polished calf; red edges. HM 27523. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
Natural history--Pre-Linnean works Encyclopedias and dictionaries--Early works to 1800 Illuminations (Painting) France 15th century (aat) Miniatures (Painting) France 15th century. (aat) Coats of arms France 15th century. (aat) Manuscripts (documents) (aat)
Source
Manuscripts, Huntington Digital Library
Provenance
The first owner was a member of the Laval family, whose coat of arms is in the roundel on f. 1: or, on a cross gules 5 escallops argent, semé of alerions azure (Rietstap, vol. 4, pl. 33). On f. I, shelf mark or notarial mark composed of a large flourish or paraph and the number"cinq," found on manuscripts of the library of the Château d'Anet, sold in Paris in 1724; this manuscript [n. 98] in that sale. The mark is on a number of manuscripts and printed books now in Vienna (see O. Pächt and D. Thoss, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der österreichischen Nationalbibliothek: Französische Schule (Vienna 1974)). Acquired by J. B. Denis Guyon de Sardière with a portion of the Château d'Anet collection; his sale, Paris 1759, lot 227. Sold by Mme H. Lestourgie to the French book dealer Brieux. Acquired by the Huntington Library in 1964 through H. Levinson, Beverly Hills.
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