THE DIGITAL WALTERSMENU
triangle
Litterarum simulationis liber LJS 225
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Manuscript Overview
References
Binding Images

Abstract

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).

Physical Description

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).

Layout

Written in 24 long lines; ruled in lead, vertical bounding lines occasionally visible.

Script

Written in humanistic script.

Decoration

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.

Notes

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.

Spine

Keywords
15th century
Italy
Italian
Illumination
Treatise
University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Place of Origin

Rome?, Italy

Date

Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III).

Binding

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.

Language

Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r)

Provenance

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.

return to search Litterarum simulationis liber LJS 225

Place of Origin

Rome?, Italy

Date

Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III).

Language

Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r)

Provenance

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.

Manuscript Overview

Abstract

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).

Notes

Ms. codex.

Title from opening rubric (f. 1r); alternate title, Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris, from early note inside front cover.

Script note

Written in humanistic script.

Decoration Note

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.

References
Binding Images

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.

Spine

Keywords
15th century
Italy
Italian
Treatise
University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
YOUR COLLECTION

Share this Collection

Clear All

Note: This collection feature is in beta, and not yet fully functional. If you're interested in saving your collection to continue using it in the future, please us the share action.
Share Close

Copy and paste one of these options to share this book elsewhere.