Research Catalog

Title

De machinis libri decem.

Author

Taccola, Mariano, 1381-approximately 1458.

Publication

Siena, Italy, approximately 1449.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Borsatis, active 15th century
• Wilczek, Johann Nepomuk, Graf von
• New York Public Libary. Manuscript. Spencer Coll. MS 136.

Description

104 leaves, bound : paper, ink, manuscript, illuminations; 314 x 218 mm

Alternative Title

Codex Wilczek II

Subject

• Taccola, Mariano, 1381-approximately 1458
• Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern) > Italy > 15th century
• Illumination of books and manuscripts
• Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern) > New York (State) > New York
• Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern)
• Engines of war > Early works to 1800
• Siege warfare > Early works to 1800
• Engines of war
• Siege warfare
• Military engineering > Early works to 1800
• Machinery > Early works to 1800
• Machinery
• Military engineering
• Mechanical engineering > Early works to 1800
• Drawing, Italian > Early works to 1800
• Machinery > Drawings
• Drawing, Italian
• Mechanical engineering

Genre/Form

• Manuscripts – Italy – 15th century.
• Early works.
• illuminated manuscripts.
• Illuminated initials (layout features)
• Wooden boards (Binding)
• Leather bindings (Binding)
• Drawings.

Note

• The ms. is foliated 1-104, missing the first folio (labelled a) and labelling 2 blank folios as 5a and 5b. But ff. 21, 36 and 64 are missing (stubs visible), so the total number remains 104. Foliation in the manuscripts is used for convenience.
• Layout: Text pages contain up to 40 long lines per page, ruled in very faded ink.
• Decoration: With 189 pen-and-ink drawings, some with light yellow wash, of machinery of war and peace. Many drawings contain human figures. Drawings of siege weapons, tactics etc. 2- and 3-line red initials.
• Paper: ff. 103-104, watermark of cross based on diameter of circle (not in Briquet).
• Scribe: Borsatis
• Script: Humanistic cursive.
• Artist: Borsatis
• Most pages contain drawings and a few lines of commentary.
• Dated to ca. 1449; on f. 102, the scribe (Borsatis) copied the colophon of his exemplar, which is dated 1449. Rose suggests that Borsatis copied this ms. from a Taccola autograph such as Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, clm 28800.
• Folio numbers in table of contents do not correspond to the folios in this manuscript. Il Taccola (1381-1453/58?) was nicknamed the Archimedes of Siena.
• Fifteenth-century copy of a work by Mariano di Jacopo Vanni of Siena, or Il Taccola.

Access (note)

• Restricted use.

Indexed In (note)

• New York Public Library. Spencer Collection. Dictionary catalog and shelf list
• P.L. Rose, "The Taccola Manuscripts", PhysisX no. 4 (1968)

Cite As (note)

• NYPL. Spencer Collection MS. 136

Language (note)

• In Latin.

Provenance (note)

• Collection of Count Wilczek, Austria.

Binding (note)

• Bound in contemporary sheep over wooden boards.

Call Number

Spencer Coll. MS. 136

OCLC

1345074563

Author

Taccola, Mariano, 1381-approximately 1458.

Title

De machinis libri decem.

Imprint

Siena, Italy, approximately 1449.

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Access

Restricted use. Requires permission for access.

Indexed In:

New York Public Library. Spencer Collection. Dictionary catalog and shelf list, vol. II, p. 906.

P.L. Rose, "The Taccola Manuscripts", PhysisX no. 4 (1968), p. 337-46.

Cite As:

NYPL. Spencer Collection MS. 136

Language

In Latin.

Provenance

Collection of Count Wilczek, Austria.

Binding

Bound in contemporary sheep over wooden boards.

Source of description

Part of the description used is from Digital Scriptorium 1.0

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

Place of Publication

Italy Siena.

Added Author

Borsatis, active 15th century, scribe and artist.

Wilczek, Johann Nepomuk, Graf von, former owner.

New York Public Libary. Manuscript. Spencer Coll. MS 136.

Research Call Number

Spencer Coll. MS. 136