A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

MS. Add. A. 23

Summary Catalogue no.: 24721

Contents

Herbal
Incipit: Macer el qualle te scriue li vertu de alchune herbe

Describing the appearance, medical properties, etc., of eighty-six plants, each with a large coloured drawing, roughly executed

An index precedes

Language(s): Italy

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
Extent: ii + 90 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 8.625 × 6.625 in.

Condition

Two leaves are lost after fol. 34, and the upper parts of some leaves at the end are injured

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander ii. 929, Pl. LXXIX, fol. 19: Lucia

Miniatures (coloured drawings)

Additions: There are some rather later corrections of the accounts

History

Origin: 15th century, first half ; Italy

Provenance and Acquisition

There is an erased entry, beginning 'Bibliothecę ...'

Guiglelmo Libri, 1803-1869.

Purchased at his sale, Sotheby's, 31 March 1859, lot. 482.

Record Sources

Description adapted (January 2025) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1905)

Last Substantive Revision

2025-01-07: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1905)