MS. Ital. b. 3

Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession): no description available

Language(s): Italian

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: parchment

Extent: i (original? parchment) + 166

Dimensions (leaf): c. 365–70 × c. 270 mm.

Dimensions (written): c. 230 × c. 165 mm.

Foliation: Modern pencil, i, 1-166; an early ink foliation has been erased, presumably to disguise the extent of the losses

Layout

30 written lines, in 1-3 columns.

Hand(s)

Fine rounded hands, by several scribes

Fol. 165r-v with additions in italic script dated 1520 and 1524.

Decoration

Illuminated border with eight miniatures of saints including 'Moises', 'Zakarias', Anthony Abbot; lower border with coat of arms.

Roundels, each containing a nimbed figure (often a hermit, monk, or bishop), with foliate extensions, on fols. 36r, 46r (St Jerome), 54r, 55r (St Appolonia), 83r, 101v (St Laurence), 108v, 109r, 136r.

Binding

?Original binding: sewn on five cords and bound in blind-tooled and gilt-punched brown leather over wood boards, each partially bevelled on the inner face; the upper board with four corner-pieces and a central boss, the lower cover now lacking them; two clasps at the fore-edge (the srtaps and catches modern), another two lost from the head and tail edges; rebacked

History

Origin: 15th century, middle, with additions to 16th century, middle ; Italian, Venice

Provenance and Acquisition

Bought from Laurence Witten Rare Books in 1980 (Catalogue 12, no. 35, with plates).

Record Sources

Peter Kidd, Checklist of Western Medieval Manuscripts Acquired 1916-; and unpublished draft description by Peter Kidd, 1990s.

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2024-09: Add codicological detail from typescript description.

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