Research Catalog

Title

Medici Aesop.

Publication

Florence, Italy, approximately 1480.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Aesop
• Demetrius, of Crete, active 1476-1488
• Mariano, del Buono di Jacopo, 1433-1504
• Gherardo, del Fora, approximately 1444-1497
• Smith, C. (Charles)?
• New York Public Libary. Manuscript. Spencer Coll. MS 50.

Description

75 leaves, bound : parchment, ink, manuscript, illuminations; 200 x 119 mm

Alternative Title

• Medici Aesop's Fables
• Fables

Subjects

• Manuscripts, Greek (Medieval and modern)
• Illuminated manuscripts
• Vellum (parchment)
• Illuminated initials (layout features)
• Early works
• Manuscripts > Italy > 15th century
• Manuscripts, Greek (Medieval and modern) > New York (State) > New York
• Manuscripts, Greek > Italy > Florence
• Fables, Greek > Manuscripts
• Illumination of books and manuscripts > Italy > Florence
• Illumination of books and manuscripts, Italian > 15th century
• Illumination of books and manuscripts, Renaissance > Italy > Florence
• Medici, Piero de', 1416-1469 > Library

Genre/Form

• Manuscripts – Italy – 15th century.
• Vellum (parchment)
• Morocco bindings (Binding) – 19th century.
• Early works.
• Illuminated manuscripts.
• Illuminated initials (layout features)

Note

• According to J. Kaimowitz, the ms. originally had at least 134 ff; the first 54 and 5 subsequent folios are missing. Piero de' Medici, Lorenzo's son, owned "a" Greek Aesop with miniatures (his inventory, 1495).
• Apparently copied from the edition printed in Milan, ca. 1480, by Bono Accursio; the scribe was living in Florence ca. 1478-90, and refers to himself as Demetrios Damilas, "Librarius florentinus"; 54 folios with Planudes' Life of Aesop possibly once at beginning of codex. Some damage from damp in the lower margins.
• The Vita Aesop probably once on the first 54 folios, now missing; 134 complete and 6 partial fables are conserved, and 7 lost (27, 43, 67, 69, 78, 79, 145) with lacunae between ff. 16v-17, 24v-25, 36v-37, 73v-74.
• Text 2: f. 40r-v ; Author: Ignatios the Deacon ; Title: Tetrasticha iambica
• Layout: 20 lines on pages without miniatures; interlinear space 6mm, ruled in drypoint, some prickings visible. 5 single folios (signed stigma, i.e. first five quires & part of 6th now missing), followed by seven quinternions.
• Decoration: 135 (of an original 146?) miniatures illustrating the fables. Figures in border on f. 1. 135 (of an original 146?) miniatures illustrating the fables. Figures in border on f. 1. And 6-line gold opening initial on red and gold field. 3-line gold initials on red, green and blue fields. Border design in each left border; opening page with 3-margin border. Rubrics.
• Scribe: Demetrios Damilas.
• Script: Humanistic.
• Artist: Mariano del Buono (Master of the Hamilton Xenophon).
• Artist: Gherardo di Giovanni del Fora
• Text 2: f. 40r-v Title: Tetrasticha iambica ; Author: Ignatios the Deacon

Access (note)

• Restricted use.

Indexed In (note)

• The Splendor of the Word. (ed.) J. G. Alexander, J. H. Marrow, L. F. Sandler (NYPL / Harvey Miller, 2005)
• Ricci, S de. Medieval and Renaissance mss., suppl.

Cite As (note)

• NYPL. Spencer Collection MS. 50

Language (note)

• Greek, Modern (1453-)

Provenance (note)

• Medici arms on f. 68. Erroneously (?), Rev. Theodore Williams at Sotheby's, 5 April 1827. Possibly, Rev. Henry Joseph Thomas Drury (1778-1841), Sotheby's, 19 Feb. 1827; Sir Thomas Phillipps, MS 23609; purchased at Sotheby's 1 July 1946, lot 26a.

Binding (note)

• Bound, s. XIX, in brown morocco leather over pasteboard by C. Smith; gold-stamped with Grolieresque interlace ornament. Gilt fore edge.

Source of Description (note)

• Part of the description used is from Digital Scriptorium 1.0

Call Number

Spencer Coll. MS. 50

OCLC

1334605537

Title

Medici Aesop.

Imprint

Florence, Italy, approximately 1480.

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Access

Restricted use. Requires permission for access.

Indexed In:

The Splendor of the Word. (ed.) J. G. Alexander, J. H. Marrow, L. F. Sandler (NYPL / Harvey Miller, 2005), n. 100.

Ricci, S de. Medieval and Renaissance mss., suppl. p. 333, no. 50

Cite As:

NYPL. Spencer Collection MS. 50

Language

Greek, Modern (1453-)

Provenance

Medici arms on f. 68. Erroneously (?), Rev. Theodore Williams at Sotheby's, 5 April 1827. Possibly, Rev. Henry Joseph Thomas Drury (1778-1841), Sotheby's, 19 Feb. 1827; Sir Thomas Phillipps, MS 23609; purchased at Sotheby's 1 July 1946, lot 26a.

Binding

Bound, s. XIX, in brown morocco leather over pasteboard by C. Smith; gold-stamped with Grolieresque interlace ornament. Gilt fore edge.

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

Place of Publication

Italy Florence

Added Author

Aesop, author.

Demetrius, of Crete, active 1476-1488, scribe.

Mariano, del Buono di Jacopo, 1433-1504, illuminator.

Gherardo, del Fora, approximately 1444-1497, illuminator.

Smith, C. (Charles)?, binder.

New York Public Libary. Manuscript. Spencer Coll. MS 50.

Research Call Number

Spencer Coll. MS. 50