MSS. Canon. Bibl. Lat. 65-9

Binding

18th century, late, Italian, Venice (five volumes, uniformly bound): wood boards; drab red leather, blind-tooled with lines and rolls forming three frames; spines with thin gilt roll outlining the cords, and a gilt green-leather label; paste-downs of marbled paper, in several similar patterns; flyleaves with Venetian watermarks (‘tre lune’, etc.). Outside measurements: (MSS. 65–67) c. 541–549 × 361–380 × c. 98–125 mm. (books closed, with or allowing for corner-pieces); (MSS. 68–69, Psalms, somewhat larger) 562–570 × 385–393 × c. 123–150 mm. (books closed, with or allowing for corner-pieces).

Heavy brass furnishings, each board originally with four corner-pieces (possibly from earlier bindings) and, in different style, a centrepiece monogram ‘MLC’ under a coronet (? for Matteo Luigi Canonici). Detached items of this metal furniture from MSS. 65, 66, 67 and 68 (removed before 1998) were given the separate shelfmark MS. Canon. Bibl. Lat. 69* in 2020, leaving two pieces lost.

Traces of earlier binding(s): gilt edges with remains of bold patterns, 16th century?; former paste-downs with traces of green/blue fabric or brown leather (consecutive coverings?); no clasps.