Illustrated herbal with three styles of illustration: one group of illustrations following medieval conventions, sometimes with fantastic elements such as human faces, on recto pages through most of the manuscript; another, rougher but more generally somewhat more naturalistic group in ink outline, on verso pages or added alongside earlier color illustrations; and a third group of naturalistic color illustrations of plants including roots, leaves, flowers and fruit on verso pages. Approximately a quarter of the illustrations are accompanied by notes on medicinal properties and preparations of the plants, written in the same ink as the ink outline illustrations, mostly in Italian (the Italian usage suggests the text was written in the Veneto), but occasionally in Latin or a mix of both languages; the notes are written around and sometimes over the illustrations.
Support: paper; Extent: 100 leaves : 245 x 176 mm bound to 254 x 190 mm; Collation: Paper, 100; 1¹ 2¹⁰(-1) 3-10⁸ 11³ 12⁸(-1) 13-14⁸; [i], 1-99, foliation in ink, upper right recto.
Written in humanistic cursive script.
Ms. codex.
Title from upper cover.
Italy
Written in northern Italy in the 15th century.
Contemporary (15th-century) limp parchment; remnants of ties on 3 sides; Erbario in ink on upper cover.
Italian and Latin
Formerly owned by Carleton R. Richmond, president of the Boston Athenaeum and the American Antiquarian Society; sold at auction as part of his collection at Sotheby Parke Bernet (New York), 30 Oct. 1981, lot 68.
Formerly owned by Leo S. Olschki; sold at auction as part of his collection at William S. Kündig (Geneva), sale 95 (23 June 1948), lot 42.
Sold by Sam Fogg to Lawrence J. Schoenberg, June 2001.
Deposit by Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2012.
Formerly owned by Rafael Gomes (signature on bottom band pasted to f. 1r).
Formerly owned by Henri Schiller (Paris).
Gift of Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, 2019.
Italy
Written in northern Italy in the 15th century.
Italian and Latin
Formerly owned by Carleton R. Richmond, president of the Boston Athenaeum and the American Antiquarian Society; sold at auction as part of his collection at Sotheby Parke Bernet
Formerly owned by Leo S. Olschki; sold at auction as part of his collection at William S. Kündig
Sold by Sam Fogg to Lawrence J. Schoenberg, June 2001.
Deposit by Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2012.
Formerly owned by Rafael Gomes
Formerly owned by Henri Schiller
Gift of Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, 2019.
Illustrated herbal with three styles of illustration: one group of illustrations following medieval conventions, sometimes with fantastic elements such as human faces, on recto pages through most of the manuscript; another, rougher but more generally somewhat more naturalistic group in ink outline, on verso pages or added alongside earlier color illustrations; and a third group of naturalistic color illustrations of plants including roots, leaves, flowers and fruit on verso pages. Approximately a quarter of the illustrations are accompanied by notes on medicinal properties and preparations of the plants, written in the same ink as the ink outline illustrations, mostly in Italian (the Italian usage suggests the text was written in the Veneto), but occasionally in Latin or a mix of both languages; the notes are written around and sometimes over the illustrations.
Ms. codex.
Title from upper cover.
Written in humanistic cursive script.
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