The Digital Walters is a branch of The Walters Art Museum Manuscripts Department.
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).
Support: parchment; Extent: 20 leaves : 223 x 150 (127 x 85) mm bound to 228 x 155 mm; Collation: Parchment, i + 20 + i; 1⁵ 2⁵; catchword with simple ornamentation on last verso of first gathering (f. 10v).
Written in 24 long lines; ruled in lead, vertical bounding lines occasionally visible.
Written in humanistic script.
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.
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
Ms. codex.
Title from opening rubric (f. 1r); alternate title, Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris, from early note inside front cover.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Rome?, Italy
Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III).
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.
Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r)
Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 20 June 1989, lot 49.
Illuminated for Pope Callistus III, between 1455 and 1458.
Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle in honor of Tina Skov Cowan, Director, Development & External Affairs, Penn Libraries, 2013.
Sold by Martin Breslauer, 1989.
Sold at auction at Christie's, 26 June 1996, lot 19, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.
Rome?, Italy
Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III).
Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r)
Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 20 June 1989, lot 49.
Illuminated for Pope Callistus III, between 1455 and 1458.
Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle in honor of Tina Skov Cowan, Director, Development & External Affairs, Penn Libraries, 2013.
Sold by Martin Breslauer, 1989.
Sold at auction at Christie's, 26 June 1996, lot 19, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.
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).
Ms. codex.
Title from opening rubric (f. 1r); alternate title, Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris, from early note inside front cover.
Written in humanistic script.
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.
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
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