PETRARCA, Francesco (1304-74). Trionfi , in Italian verse, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [Florence, ca.1450]. 200 x 130mm, 53 leaves and medieval flyleaf. COMPLETE, collation: 1-5 1 0 6 4 (final blank leaf cancelled), numerical and alphabetical quire signatures, 21 lines, ruled in blind, justification 138 x 75mm + 6mm to allow the initial letter of every third line to stand out, written in brown ink in a humanistic cursive bookhand, headings in red, 13 THREE-LINE ILLUMINATED INITIALS in burnished gold on two-coloured ground with delicate tracery, LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL gold on blue, green and red ground decorated with white vine stems, containing the figure of a blind-folded Cupid, with bow and arrow, within a full border of interlaced white vine stems on blue and rose ground historiated with 5 small framed vignettes, depicting a hound, a cherub, a hare, the figure of Laura, the face of a cherub surrounded by four birds, also at foot four putti supporting an armorial shield, (a little rubbed and thumbed, occasional minor staining). CONTEMPORARY FLORENTINE GOATSKIN BINDING over wooden boards, panelled and tooled in blind, in centre two circles interconnected containing entwined knotwork stamps, within an outer border of ropework ornament, (head and foot of spine restored), two brass catches (clasps lacking). PROVENANCE: The armorial shield contains a lion rampant or on a field azure. This may however be later overpainting. Sold in our rooms 8 December 1982, lot 133 (it was then catalogued as Neapolitan). SCRIPT: Prof. A.de la Mare has been able to identify the script, as having been written by the anonymous scribe of 'the remarkable Venice Silius (Marc. Lat.XII.68)'. He was also responsible for at least four other Florentine manuscripts, including a Virgil produced for William Gray by Vespasiano (now Oxford Balliol 140), another Virgil with a famous miniature by Guglielmo Giraldi (Vat.Urb.lat.350) and possibly a fifth manuscript Boccaccio La Fiammetta for the Marquis of Santillana (Madrid B.N.Res.53). She writes 'I am tempted to speculate whether he could be identified with the Florentine Mariotto Nori, who went to Verona to study under Guarino in the 1420s, and who was said to write a fine humanistic hand. No manuscripts signed by him are known.' Cf. "New research on humanistic scribes in Florence," in A.Garzelli, Miniatura Fiorentina del Rinascimento 1440-1525 , vol.I, Florence 1985, pages 426-7, and 553 no.105. Also Addenda p.599 no.105, listing the present manuscript. The fine illuminated first leaf appears to be by Ser Ricciardo di Nanni an artist who worked for the Medici from 1456 to 1459. Cf. Garzelli, op.cit pp 55ff and plates 123-147.
PETRARCA, Francesco (1304-74). Trionfi , in Italian verse, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [Florence, ca.1450]. 200 x 130mm, 53 leaves and medieval flyleaf. COMPLETE, collation: 1-5 1 0 6 4 (final blank leaf cancelled), numerical and alphabetical quire signatures, 21 lines, ruled in blind, justification 138 x 75mm + 6mm to allow the initial letter of every third line to stand out, written in brown ink in a humanistic cursive bookhand, headings in red, 13 THREE-LINE ILLUMINATED INITIALS in burnished gold on two-coloured ground with delicate tracery, LARGE HISTORIATED INITIAL gold on blue, green and red ground decorated with white vine stems, containing the figure of a blind-folded Cupid, with bow and arrow, within a full border of interlaced white vine stems on blue and rose ground historiated with 5 small framed vignettes, depicting a hound, a cherub, a hare, the figure of Laura, the face of a cherub surrounded by four birds, also at foot four putti supporting an armorial shield, (a little rubbed and thumbed, occasional minor staining). CONTEMPORARY FLORENTINE GOATSKIN BINDING over wooden boards, panelled and tooled in blind, in centre two circles interconnected containing entwined knotwork stamps, within an outer border of ropework ornament, (head and foot of spine restored), two brass catches (clasps lacking). PROVENANCE: The armorial shield contains a lion rampant or on a field azure. This may however be later overpainting. Sold in our rooms 8 December 1982, lot 133 (it was then catalogued as Neapolitan). SCRIPT: Prof. A.de la Mare has been able to identify the script, as having been written by the anonymous scribe of 'the remarkable Venice Silius (Marc. Lat.XII.68)'. He was also responsible for at least four other Florentine manuscripts, including a Virgil produced for William Gray by Vespasiano (now Oxford Balliol 140), another Virgil with a famous miniature by Guglielmo Giraldi (Vat.Urb.lat.350) and possibly a fifth manuscript Boccaccio La Fiammetta for the Marquis of Santillana (Madrid B.N.Res.53). She writes 'I am tempted to speculate whether he could be identified with the Florentine Mariotto Nori, who went to Verona to study under Guarino in the 1420s, and who was said to write a fine humanistic hand. No manuscripts signed by him are known.' Cf. "New research on humanistic scribes in Florence," in A.Garzelli, Miniatura Fiorentina del Rinascimento 1440-1525 , vol.I, Florence 1985, pages 426-7, and 553 no.105. Also Addenda p.599 no.105, listing the present manuscript. The fine illuminated first leaf appears to be by Ser Ricciardo di Nanni an artist who worked for the Medici from 1456 to 1459. Cf. Garzelli, op.cit pp 55ff and plates 123-147.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
